The Informatics Review Vol. 5 No. 10 - May 15 2002 -- Current Reviews in Clinical Informatics

First large doctor-patient e-mail study finds positive attitudes on both sides, but an increased communications burden to the clinic
A e-mail system that "triages" messages from patients to their doctors can help overcome many of the concerns that doctors have about electronic communication, and increase the amount and quality of communication between providers and patients. But it doesn't cut the number of phone calls or office visits patients make, nor the number who miss their appointments.

Quality and safety of clinical decision support systems
Developers of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSSs) have to date tended to be more concerned with the efficacy of their systems (e.g. measurable improvements in healthcare outcomes) than with safety (e.g. potential for hazardous side-effects). A review of quality, safety, ethical and legal liability issues suggests that CDSSs developers will be expected to comply with a “duty of care” covering all aspects of the design, development and deployment life-cycle.

Bioinformatics is defined as the application of tools of computation and analysis to the capture and interpretation of biological data. This paper describes the main tools of the bioinformatician and discusses how they are being used to interpret biological data and to further understanding of disease. The potential clinical applications of these data in drug discovery and development are also discussed.

Genetics and Privacy: A Patchwork of Protections
This report discusses how genetic information is vulnerable to inappropriate use and disclosure. It also examines the role of Internet health in genetics privacy and the gaps in national policy that leave genetic information exposed to potential misuse.

SunClinical™ Data Institute transforms clinical transactions into Clinical Data Warehouses
Institute Members will have their clinical transaction information transformed into local and national clinical data warehouses. The warehouses will concentrate on:
    * Patient safety and quality monitoring
    * Clinical care benchmarking
    * Clinical research and outcome studies
    * Coordinated public health and bioterrorism surveillance

Suppliers of clinical knowledge management products
Listing of clinical decision support system suppliers offering products for individual patients and/or technologies that can form part of a clinical knowledge management process or infrastructure.

The University of Texas Medical Branch's Mini Medical School is an informative and entertaining public education program designed to familiarize participants with medical terminology, knowledge of medicine, and provide insights into medical research.

Virtual surgery edges toward reality - Simulation software and wireless sensors expand the horizons of medicine and health
Using a joystick or haptic device to manipulate surgical tools, Dr. Stanley M. Saiki Jr., director of Pacific Telehealth and Technology Hui, pulled back skin from a virtual patient's abdomen, noting there was some resistance.

EasyDiagnosis - Medical Expert System Modules are designed to give decision support information for various principal complaints (symptoms), findings (signs), or conditions (diseases).

Eight people will be first to have ID chips implanted
The VeriChip stores an identification number that care providers can “read” by passing a handheld device over an individual’s body. The number provides access to a central computer registry that contains the patient’s medical information, including potential hazards such as drug allergies and medical implants like pacemakers. (may need IE Browser to view)

Other issues from Volume 5 -- 2001

1 -- Jan 1

5 -- Mar 1

9 --- May 1

13 -- Jul 1

17 -- Sep 1

21 -- Nov 1

2 -- Jan 15

6 -- Mar 15

10 -- May 15

14 -- Jul 15

18 -- Sep 15

22 -- Nov 15

3 -- Feb 1

7 -- Apr 1

11 -- Jun 1

15 -- Aug 1

19 -- Oct 1

23 -- Dec 1

4 -- Feb 15

8 -- Apr 15

12 -- Jun 15

16 -- Aug 15

20 -- Oct 15

24 -- Dec 15

5/15/02 dfs

1 -- Jan 1	5 -- Mar 1	9 --- May 1	13 -- Jul 1	17 -- Sep 1	21 -- Nov 1
2 -- Jan 15	6 -- Mar 15	10 -- May 15	14 -- Jul 15	18 -- Sep 15	22 -- Nov 15
3 -- Feb 1	7 -- Apr 1	11 -- Jun 1	15 -- Aug 1	19 -- Oct 1	23 -- Dec 1
4 -- Feb 15	8 -- Apr 15	12 -- Jun 15	16 -- Aug 15	20 -- Oct 15	24 -- Dec 15