Saturday 28 February 2015

Robear - robotic carer

Robear: the bear-shaped nursing robot who'll look after you when you get old.

"Japanese robot can lift patients from beds into wheelchairs or help them to stand up, promising ‘powerful yet gentle care’ for the elderly"

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/27/robear-bear-shaped-nursing-care-robot

National Quality Improvement programme improves majority of surgical centres.

Hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP significantly improve surgical outcomes over time.

http://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Abstract/publishahead/Improved_Surgical_Outcomes_for_ACS_NSQIP_Hospitals.97468.aspx

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-02/acos-hpi022715.php

"ACS NSQIP is a nationally validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based program designed to measure and improve the quality of surgical care in participating hospitals. The program employs prospective, peer-controlled, validated clinical data collection to quantify 30-day surgical outcomes and allows comparisons of outcomes among all participating hospitals.

The new study by the American College of Surgeons research team found that among hospitals currently participating in the program for at least three years, 69 percent reduced the rate of death; 79 percent reduced the rate of complications; and 71 percent reduced the rate of surgical site infections. It was estimated that, on average, these hospitals reduced their rate of death by 0.8 percent per year; reduced their rate of complications by 3.1 percent per year; and reduced their rate of surgical site infection by 2.6 percent per year (with respect to the prior year's rates)."

Monday 23 February 2015

FDA hiding fraud in medical trials?

Unearthing Fraud In Medical Trials

http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/YtZBkunzaFI/story01.htm

Steroids useful in community-acquired pneumonia with raised CRP.

Effect of Corticosteroids on Treatment Failure Among Hospitalized Patients With Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia and High Inflammatory Response A Randomized Clinical Trial http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=2110967

Monday 2 February 2015

NHS 2015/16 pricing plans (tariffs) rejected

Mike Broad of Hospital Doctor reports on how hospitals have objected to the proposed NHS pricing plans for 2015-16.

"the pricing authorities must either refer their proposals to the Competition and Markets Authority for review, or consult the health service again on revised prices taking into account the objections."

http://www.hospitaldr.co.uk/blogs/our-news/hospital-objections-throw-nhs-2015-16-pricing-plans-into-disarray

Live data from Australian solar energy data

Data from Australian photovoltaic installations displayed in various ways including a live feed.

http://pv-map.apvi.org.au/