Monthly Archives: April 2012

Marie Wieck At IBM Impact – No Solution Is An Island

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by Susan Eustis

Marie Wieck At IBM Impact – No Solution Is An Island

Marie L. Wieck is general manager for the Application and Integration Middleware business unit in IBM Software.  IBM Impact conference, with 8,500 attendees is organized around the theme of permitting businesses to build a completely new business model driven by technology implementation.  Designing business from a technology framework is enabled by new WebSphere systems.

No Solution Is Island theme emphasizes the support IBM WebSphere has for collaboration within application development.  Marie announced the next generation application server at the IBM Impact conference.  The new version of the WebSphere application server represents the results of significant investment in cost effective delivery of core business capability supported by SOA services that provide integration.   The ability to compose integration of services into new applications represents an extension of the designs that are enabled by WebSphere.

Transactions can be optimized and systems can be positioned to achieve flexible response to changing market conditions.   Next generation application server WebSphere is fast.  It is the fastest application server on the market.  It is 16% faster as measured by industry standard benchmarks.  This attention to benchmarks is a key benefit for the next generation systems.

IBM has open standards support with mission critical capabilities.  Systems are more flexible.  Operational automation can be achieved.  The next generation application servers have faster start up times.  It takes less than 5 seconds typically to start up the system.  The developer can put an application on a credit card size device.  This supports apps that are highly available.

Next generation systems improve developer productivity.   Developers can drag in services visually and crate apps in this manner.  The SOA systems create integration in an agile, adaptive manner.  Capabilities are achieved on a new class of technologies that manages the business rules and completes the feedback loops.

WebSphere in the next generation permits the newly evolved applications to go onto a server directly.  The system works without restarting cloud systems.  The applications can be built for a cloud.   New capability and better capability is achieved.    More blogs are to come on Marie’s comments on the roll-out of IBM Pure systems and on the description of the advantages provided by cloud and federated systems.

Memo to New England Journal of Medicine

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by Susan Eustis

A December 2010 article describing a telehealth remote monitoring for heart failure patients concluded that telemonitoring did not improve patient outcomes.  The paper was written by Sarwat I. Chaudhry, M.D, and nine other authors.   It looked at telemonitoring in patients with heart failure.  The paper analyzed 1,653 CHF patients, 826 of whom participated in a remote health intervention:  This is I believe an aarticle that is a travesty for the entire healthcare delivery industry.  The study was deeply flawed, not looking at modern technology, instead using technology that is known to fail.  Following is a quote from the new WinterGreen Research market study on telemedicine.  The logic is accurate and indicates the need for a retraction of the article and attention to more modern research.  The paper seems to carry the prejudice of physicians that wish they could treat only those whom they see in person.  This attitude is outdated and not appropriate for patients with chronic disease conditions.
Chronic disease conditions are best treated early on when there is a change in patient condition and an early intervention can make a difference.  It is even better to treat them in a wellness treatment environment before there are indications of chronic disease, before symptoms develop, by addressing lifestyle issues early on.

 Left to their own judgments, some patients typically are apt to make terrible decisions relating to their personal health either because of ignorance, genetic inheritance, or because of lifestyle habit.  The ability to accurately access patient condition via a combination of advanced testing and telemonitoring creates the opportunity to intervene when what is called for clinically can make a difference, and to provide education regarding healthy living in a way that is likely to create compliance with clinician recommendations.


Real-Time Remote Medical Diagnosis System (RTRMDS)

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by Susan Eustis

Real-Time Remote Medical Diagnosis System (RTRMDS)

RTRMDS is a real-time remote medical diagnosis system.   RTRMDS technology  supports the application of radio-diagnosis.   Rather than specifically focusing on patient interaction, Real-Time Remote Medical Diagnosis System (RTRMDS) is where medical information is transferred.  Real-time communication is achieved via high-speed internet connection.

Real-time remote medical diagnosis system (RTRMDS) is used to get expert opinion without delay.  Using this technology, technicians can use CT scans, MRIs and ECHOs and be supervised by a remote medical expert.  This has implications for drug prescription, earlier disease detection and intervention.  The system is anticipated to provide improved patient outcomes.

An example is its use in screening for diabetic retinopathy.  A digital fundus camera can acquire field color images of the eye retina and transmit via the Internet to a remote center for interpretation by readers or for storage and subsequent comparison.

Telemedicine IBM Watson, Honeywell, Vitarian, and Bosch Diagnostic Support Expert Systems

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by Susan Eustis

Telemedicine IBM Watson, Honeywell, Vitarian, and Bosch Diagnostic Support Expert Systems

Clinical diagnosis is being impacted by the decision support systems.  Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) have been a key aspect of telemedicine.  Bosch offers the ability to track and update on a daily basis, questions that are able to address actual situations that patients face.

Diagnostic support expert systems promise to revolutionize healthcare.  The mandated electronic health record (EHR) systems in all healthcare facilities, is a key enabler of diagnostic support expert systems.   The objectives are to promote better and cheaper healthcare using diagnostic support based on the patient data collected from the telemedicine systems.  With the large amount of new data collected by the newly installed EHR systems, computers like the Watson will be able to find optimal answers to clinical questions much more efficiently than the human mind.

Two major categories are diagnostic support tools and treatment support tools.  Chronic conditions requires continuous diagnostic support because a continuous flow of information on patient change in conditions helps physicians make a better diagnosis based on the patient symptoms, medications, and medical records. Treatment support helps clinicians stay compliant with known treatment guidelines such as avoiding known drug interactions, dispensing the right medication to the right patients, and staying on schedule with response to changes in patient condition.

Differential diagnostic tools support differential telemedical treatment.  The decision process take into account clinical findings form the home monitoring devices and from symptoms verbally communicated.

IBM Big Data Analytics Support Research into Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

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By Jane Clabby

Researchers at The State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo are using IBM analytics to create algorithms to analyze big data containing genomic datasets to discover factors that contribute to the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). By studying more than 2000 genetic and environmental factors, researchers hope to identify trends in MS patients that can be used to improve treatment and slow the cognitive, physical and brain impairments caused by MS.

According to IBM, the breadth of clinical data including medical records, lab reports, and test results combined with individual patient data including characteristics such as gender, diet, exercise, sun exposure and living and working conditions would take researchers days to analyze and correlate to find any meaningful patterns. But by using Big Data analytics, both structured and unstructured patient and clinical data can be sorted and analyzed in minutes, allowing researchers to look at trends and patterns in the data rather than focusing on the data itself.

Researchers at SUNY Buffalo are using IBM Netezza, a purpose-built, standards-based data warehouse appliance based on IBM BladeCenter technology that integrates database, server, storage, and analytics software into a single, easy-to-manage system. Also part of the solution is software from an IBM partner, Revolution Analytics, a leading commercial provider of software and services based on the open source R programming language designed for statistical computing and data analysis.

For complex medical conditions such as MS, analytics are the best way to look for subtle differences in a patient’s history and symptoms that explain, for example, why one patient’s condition worsens at a different rate than another patient with similar symptoms. The goal is to individualize and personalize treatment based on a thorough understanding of the patient and all factors relating to their condition. Analytics can be used in the same way in other industries. For example, in retail, understanding a person’s buying patterns, preferences, and response to sales and promotions can help on-line retailers target consumers with individual offers that are based on information learned about their specific buying habits.

Telemedicine Addresses Issues Related to Treating Chronic Disease Conditions

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by Susan Eustis

Factors likely to change the current situation are related to the very high proportion medical spending that is directed to treatment of chronic disease.  A second aspect is that chronic conditions are best controlled by interventions a on a daily basis with a trusted nurse monitoring and measure outcomes of various situations.

So, though the clinicians prefer in person treatment on a sporadic basis after there is an emergency or significant symptom presentations, in fact the best way to treat chronic conditions is proactively, monitoring remotely on a daily basis.  This proactive monitoring depends on inexpensive equipment and an efficient services organization that is able to connect in a very human way with patients over the phone on a daily basis.  This requires significant training and care in hiring.

.  It provides a way to initiate two way communications with a patient, forever changing the doctor – patient relationship to a collaborative one.  It means that physicians need to build collaboration skills or delegate those to their nurses which they have always done, but this time in a more effective manner, on that is supported by technology.

 

Factors Likely To Create Shift To Telemedicine

  • Push to decrease cost of medical care delivery
  • Related to the very high proportion medical spending that is directed to treatment of chronic disease
  • Chronic conditions are controlled by interventions a on a daily basis
  • Trusted nurse monitoring
  • Measure outcomes of various situations
  • Clinicians prefer in person treatment on a sporadic basis
  • Emergency or significant symptom presentations
  • Best way to treat chronic conditions is proactively, monitoring remotely on a daily basis
  • Proactive monitoring depends on inexpensive equipment and an efficient services organization that is able to connect
  • Nurses support patients over the phone on a daily basis
  • Requires significant nurse training and care in hiring

Source:  WinterGreen Research, Inc.

Telemedicine Adoption Rate Issues And Concerns

  • Lack of reimbursement to clinicians for the use of telemedicine
  • Clinician belief that each patient is better served if they are seen in person
  • High cost of caring for patients with chronic conditions

Source:  WinterGreen Research, Inc.

 

 

 

 

IBM Announces Agreement to Acquire Vivisimo for Big Data Analytics

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By Jane Clabby

IBM announced today that they will acquire Vivisimo, a provider of federated discovery and navigation software to help in the analysis of big data. Vivisimo analyzes both structured and unstructured data and can easily and transparently navigate across the enterprise, capturing data wherever it resides without physically moving that data– improving performance and speeding time-to-value..

Vivisimo has 140 clients spanning multiple verticals including government, defense, manufacturing, financial services, consumer goods, and medical and scientific research.  Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory used Vivisimo to “discover, search, and navigate multiple federated data sources to provide the lab’s 4,500 employees with a unified search tool for content, project and expertise information”. The technology will also be instrumental in speeding up processing that will enable Watson to ingest large volumes of data.

According to IBM, IBM’s big data analytics capabilities combined with Vivisimo software will enable a new class of applications that will help businesses better understand consumer behavior, manage customer churn and network performance, detect fraud in real-time, and perform data-intensive marketing campaigns.

Vivisimo’s technology has several unique features that improve its discovery and navigation capabilities.  Accuracy is improved with its position-based index technology and its ability to leverage usage and feedback information. Security features ensure that users only have access to the information for which they are authorized. Vivisimo can scale to trillions of records for quick access to enterprise information throughout the organization. And Vivisimo comes with a broad range of connectors to unstructured as well as structured information sources.

IBM also announced that in addition to supporting open source Apache Hadoop, they will  be expanding their big data platform to run on other versions of Hadoop, starting with Cloudera, making IBM “ the only platform that supports multiple open source distributons.” As a result, Cloudera Hadoop clients can now take advantage of IBM’s big data platform to perform complex analytics and build a new generation of software applications.

Bosch Health Buddy Decision Support Tools

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by Susan Eustis

Bosch Health Buddy Decision Support Tools

The Bosch Health Buddy decision support tools provide secure access to clinicians ready to monitor chronic patient conditions on a daily basis.  A series of features and reports are designed to risk-stratify patient populations, enabling health professionals to improve clinical outcomes and patient quality of life while reducing the total cost of care.

Tools enable paperless data collection and disease management.  Bosch Health Buddy system works by improving the frequency and quality of data collected without increasing administrative burdens.  A task list offers care providers improved workflow when managing multiple patients with high and medium risk responses.

Trend graphs and patient reports allow care providers to understand, respond to and communicate patient data to other healthcare professionals.  Care providers can create summary reports that look like a heat map to consider conditions of individuals or to compare groups of patients in an intuitive manner.  Compliance reports, patient trend and result reports, and electronic patient records are generated.  With the versatile design, the Bosch Health Buddy decision support tools can be applied to a wide range of disease states, disease management systems and patient populations.

The Bosch ViTelCare T400 home health monitor is another similar device.

Home health tele-monitoring supports the safety and well-being of patients with congestive heart failure, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), asthma, or mental health issues, as well as many combinations of these conditions.  By providing a daily assessment of the patient’s vital signs and symptoms, the monitors alert clinicians to changing conditions, so someone can intervene before a home visit or hospitalization is required.

IBM PureSystems Patterns of Expertise: Healthcare

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IBM has positioned to help clients in every industry solve the complexity of enterprise IT, reduce costs and encourage innovation. Heathcare is one of 20 industries targeted.  IBM partners are offering a range of solutions that address patient care, patient physician communication, and IT systems.

IBM PureSystems software capability creates Patterns of Expertise that combine operational know-how and industry experience.  Automation through the software feeds directly into the system to automate a variety of common IT and industry tasks.  The aim is to dramatically cut the time and resources needed for basic and complex tasks.
150 Patterns of Expertise have been developed and optimized for IBM PureSystems by more than 125 of the world’s leading ISVs.  With technical and validation resources from IBM, optimization is achieved on either the IBM PureFlex or IBM PureApplication
systems.
SAP, Microsoft, VMWare, Infor, Sugar CRM, Red Hat, and Siemens are participating in the program.   500 distributors, resellers, system integrators and managed service
providers are being trained on how to install and sell IBM PureSystems.    IBM
PureSystems Centre, provides an online catalog where clients can browse
applications.
IBM PureFlex and PureSystems technical skills are available in 31 IBM Innovation Centers worldwide.  Benefits are for IBM Business Partners: IBM PureFlex System
ISVs:
o Un-parelleled flexibility of cloud deployment models through one enablement process leveraging IBM workload patterns
o IBM PureApplication System – integrated system for rapid deployment in a private cloud environment
o IBM PureFlex System – provides clients with choice of server infrastructure
o IBM SmartCloud – public cloud service
IBM seeks to accelerate the sales cycle by providing prospects with seamless access to trials and proof of concept offerings through the IBM PureSystems Centre
o Faster deployment and improved application performance for production
workloads
o Rapidly deploy and scale applications
o Integrated service and software management
o Capture Increased Opportunity
o Tap high growth market opportunity (+7% YTY) with integrated solutions
o Leverage industry solutions across the ISV ecosystem
o Increased opportunities with hardware, software

IBM is offering compelling Incentives to partners.
o Increased earning potential with compelling margins on integrated solutions
o New incentives with back-end rebates of up to 6%
o Expand incentive scope by promoting ISV solutions and integration services
o Accelerate time-to-value / ROI for your clients with pre-integrated solutions
• Drive your Transformative Growth
o Transform your business model from a product Reseller to a Solution Provider
o Move-up value chain with potential for consultative solution selling
o Accelerate sales cycle with IBM Global Financing, 90 day payment deferral
• Deliver Business Value to clients through rapid application deployment
o Expert Integrated Systems deliver superior application performance for
enterprise clients
o Attract New Clients by delivering solutions on both public and private clouds
o Offer flexible deployment and pricing options
o Save time and resources by enabling an application that can be deployed
o Accelerate the Sales Cycle with the new IBM PureSystems Centre
Benefits for Managed Service Providers
o IBM PureFlex System
o Speed time-to-value: clients can be up and running in as little as 4 hours,
speeding deployment of new applications
o Simplified management: easier monitoring, alerts and problem
management through automated resolution processes with integrated
expertise
o IBM PureApplication System

Application and service delivery deployments from 7 days to as little as 10 minutes
Catalogue of industry leading and optimized applications available
Increased utilization: ability to run 2x more workload
Increased availability: high availability with built-in application elasticity and
data replication

IBM to provide Integrated Infrastructure for Korea’s Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital

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By Jane Clabby

Korea’s Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital selected IBM over Hitachi and HP to provide an integrated hardware and software “smarter computing” platform that will enable them to improve the quality of electronic medical records data as well as speed access to that data across multiple locations. The goal is to integrate data in different formats and in different physical locations so that physicians can treat patients more efficiently and effectively.

The infrastructure platform will include IBM Power 780 and 740 systems with PowerVM virtualization, IBM System x3650 M3 systems as well as IBM System Storage DS8000 and IBM Storwize V7000 Unified Storage, and will be capable of handling up to 100TB of data.

According to IBM, this system is supporting the hospital’s “SU-III Project” which will result in a single electronic medical record (EMR) system with a single database that can be used by physicians, nurses, lab clinicians and insurance companies. This will enable the hospital to consolidate and manage patient records across their four locations and 2,920 beds, from a central location in Bucheon, improving hospital efficiency while minimizing costs. With the integrated, workload-optimized system, physicians will also be able to work collaboratively with access to a common set of patient data, improving patient care.