August 2009Continua Health Alliance Spurs Personal Connected Health Market

Continua Health Alliance, the non-profit, open industry alliance of more than 200 leading healthcare and technology organizations, recently announced the availability of three new Continua CertifiedTM devices from member companies. These certified products mark an important mildfestone in the group's mission to establish a system of interoperable personal connected health solutions. By extending these solutions into the home, Continua is driving a new model in healthcare, enabling truly personalized health and wellness management that empowers individuals and fosters independence.

The three connected health devices, developed by A&D Medical and Roche Diagnostics, recently completed rigorous testing to qualify for Continua certification, signifying interoperability with other specified Continua Certified solutions. A&D Medical now offers the first Continua Certified blood pressure monitor and Continua Certified weight scale , and Roche Diagnostics provides the first Continua Certified glucose device reader. These personal connected health devices empower individuals to maintain greater responsibility for their health.

"An innovative unification of healthcare technology, clinical information systems and home health devices is the need of the hour for telehealth systems across the world," said Janani Narasimham, a senior healthcare analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Standardization of equipment will have a significant impact on the future roll-out of these systems, and Continua's design guidelines and certification program help achieve that."

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Wireless Telehealth Report - ABI Research

Wireless Telehealth Report

"ABI judges the Continua Health Alliance to be the most significant telehealth organization active..."

This study assesses the market opportunity for embedded cellular connectivity - cellular modules built into end-use medical devices - in healthcare applications that use a telecommunications link to connect an individual with a remotely-located caregiver. The report refers to these types of applications collectively as "telehealth." Its focus on embedded cellular connectivity for telehealth applications centers on its (most common) use in remote patient monitoring (RPM) applications. A related application called ambient assisted living (AAL) - monitoring the well-being of elderly or at-risk people - is also often included under the telehealth definition and is likewise covered.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of emerging trends in global connectivity. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research's worldwide team of experts advise thousands of decision makers through research and advisory services in seven key practice areas. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.

Continua members receive a 10% discount on this report! Click here to learn how.

Continua Fall Summit Keynote Lineup and Training Sessions Announced!

Date: October 5-9, 2009
Location:
The Colonnade Hotel
120 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116 USA
T: (617) 424-7000

Continua is excited to announce its keynote lineup and educational session topics for the Fall Summit 2009!

There has never been a better time to become a member of Continua. Summit attendees will be treated to a wide variety of valuable and relevant presentations:

* Opportunity to interact with keynote speakers to understand firsthand the future of U.S. PH Standards and how Continua is a fundamental component.

* Receive groundbreaking data from the Veterans Administration that provides compelling evidence of low-cost, high-quality efficiency.

* Participate in the Technical Work Group's discussion of critical industry decisions on medication monitoring, WAN security and more.

* Watch an interoperability demonstration of the latest Continua Certified and pre-Certified products.

* Join fellow Continua Members on a memorable dinner cruise around the Boston Harbor on the Spirit of Boston. A dinner buffet and drinks will be provided. We will also be holding a Photography Contest. This is a great opportunity to get to know the Boston area and to network within the Continua Membership.

* Enjoy all the customary benefits of Continua's Summits, including extensive networking opportunities, comprehensive training sessions and face-to-face Work Group meetings.

Headlining the Summit's Opening Session will be Dr. Adam Darkins and Dr. John D. Halamka.

Dr. Darkins is the Chief Consultant for Care Coordination at the Department of Veterans Administration. Dr. Darkins previously led the VHA's national telehealth program, which is now incorporated into the Office of Care Coordination.

Dr. Halamka is Chief Information Officer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, as well as Chairman of the New England Healthcare Exchange Network and Chair of the US Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP).

Attendees can also take part in any of our free educational sessions during the Summit:

* Newcomers Networking Session

* Privacy 201 - How Law Changes May Affect Device Connectivity

* IEEE 11073 Training

* FDA/MBA 405 - Regulatory Strategies for IT Companies in Connected Health

* FDA/MBA 407 - Case Study: An IT Company Considering Entry into Connected Health

* Continua Enabling Source Code Library (CESL) Training

* Parks Associates Research Report presented by Harry Wang Market Trends, PHR Buzz, & Wireless for Healthcare: Implications for Continua
* This two-hour presentation will have three mini-tracks that will cover the latest market trends in the personal health technology market, discuss adoption trends and use cases of Personal Health Records (PHR), and highlight home care market opportunity for wireless technology vendors. Continua members are encouraged to participate in this interactive presentation to share their viewpoints and business stories.

Continua members, please click here for agendas, session details and registration information.

Not a Continua member? Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to join the vanguard of the personal telehealth industry! Click here for information on how to become a member of Continua Health Alliance.

Continua Health Alliance and IHE Continue to Work Together on a Standards-Based Approach

Continua is now harmonized with HITSP on a standards-based approach to send remote patient monitoring data over the Internet (cell or PC).

The collaboration between the two organizations demonstrates how Continua brings together industry leaders to use existing standards to build interoperable personal healthcare solutions. Dr. John Halamka, Chair of the US Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP), notes in his blog, A Milestone for Device Interoperability, that the two organizations have agreed to a single set of content, transport, and vocabulary standards that work for all devices - whether home-based or hospital-based.

Dr. Halamka will also deliver a keynote address at Continua's Fall Summit 2009 (members only). Read Dr. Halamka's blog here.
New Marketing Request Web Form

Due to the growing number of marketing and PR-related requests it receives, Continua has implemented a new, online Web form to help streamline these efforts.

Member companies and the general public can submit a Marketing Request Form on the Continua Web site here. Types of requests include:

* Tradeshow booth presence

* Speaking opportunities

* Interoperability demonstrations

* Event co-marketing agreements

* Networking events

* Symposiums and training days

* Cross-Work Group support

* New collateral creation

* Advertising

* PR support

* Web site changes

* Newsletter articles

Continua kindly requests all parties to direct marketing requests to this process, located here.
Public Availability of Version One Design Guidelines

As a reminder, if you are not a member of Continua but would like to learn more about the Version One Design Guidelines, you can order your copy today by clicking here. Fees can be applied toward membership within 90 days of ordering.

Continua Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

Continua U.S. Policy RFP
Continua's U.S. Policy Working Group is seeking proposals from qualified persons to act as a Policy Consultant that will help define and formulate Continua's public policy agenda and advocacy efforts at the federal level, with some focus on state policy, by:

* Identifying and eliminating policy barriers and regulatory obstacles to the adoption and widespread use of remote monitoring technologies and telehealth services;

* Ensuring that Continua's federal and state health care reform efforts adequately include reimbursement of telehealth services;

* Helping to develop Continua's comprehensive policy strategy as it relates to remote chronic disease coordinated care; and

* Eliminating licensure and other potential regulatory barriers.

Continua Program Manager RFP
Continua would also like to announce the upcoming release of the Continua Program Manager RFP. The Continua Program Manager will be responsible for performing the following major services:

* Provide project management expertise and direction in all phases of the Annual Continua Guideline Release project.

* Serve as the primary interface between multiple Work Groups in facilitating/leading the creation of a master program schedule, tracking progress towards program milestones and driving resolution of roadblocks with Work Groups.

* Establish the program direction, manage expectations and control the scope of the program to minimize risk.

Please e-mail admin@continuaalliance.org for complete RFPs.
Upcoming Industry Events

DMAA: The Forum '09

Date: September 21-22, 2009
Location: Hilton San Deigo Bayfront, San Diego, CA, USA

Come visit Continua at booth #111

Now in its 11th year, The Forum, the annual meeting of DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance, delivers unparalleled education, exhibits and networking for the population health improvement community.

HIT professionals, among our largest segments of attendees, know the Forum as an outstanding source on the latest technological advancements in population health management. This year, we present a keynote on HIT in the medical home by David K. Nace, MD, McKesson clinical development vice president and co-chair of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative Center for eHealth Information Adoption and Exchange. Also enjoy these presentations and others:

* Changing the Game: Insights on How Health Systems Are Leveraging Technology as Part of the Medical Home

* HITECH Health IT Legislation: Opportunities for the Population Health Management Community

* Better Health through Video Gaming for Health

* Clinical Alerts through Electronic Medical Records & Trusted Intermediaries Improve Care & Lower Costs

* Use of Digital Coaching to Improve Treatment of Depression & Insomnia

National Health IT Week

Date: September 21-25, 2009
Location: Washington D.C., USA

Continua is proud to be a sponsor of the National Health IT Week 2009 in developing a common ground to advance the adoption of health information technologies (health IT) transforming health and care in the U.S. Initiated in 2006 by Healthcare Information Management and System Society (HIMSS), National Health IT Week has emerged as a premier occasion for bringing together national healthcare stakeholders in a unifying call to action for the advancement of health IT adoption with "One Voice, One Vision."

National Health IT Week is a collaborative forum during which key public and private healthcare constituents representing the full spectrum of healthcare interests work together to elevate national attention to the necessity of health IT adoption and to raise awareness among members of Congress of the pivotal role it can play in transforming the nation's health system.

The event brings together health and care stakeholders-information technology and interconnectivity vendors, hospital and provider organizations, payers, pharmaceutical/biotech companies, government agencies, industry/professional associations, and consumer protection groups-in a collaborative call for action.

CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2009

Date: October 6-9, 2009
Location: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA, USA

Come visit Continua at booth # 1028

No matter what your business is - healthcare, entertainment, fleet management or financial planning - wireless technologies can transform how you do business. International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment brings this possibility to life.

With a focus on applications, network architecture and technologies such as LBS, machine-to-machine and WiMAX (just to name a few), this international event brings a community of users, carriers, developers and manufacturers together to generate dialogue, share ideas and debate the economics of MOBILE BUSINESS.

For more information and to register, please click here.

Partners HealthCare's Connected Health Symposium 2009

Date: October 21-22, 2009
Location: The Boston Park Plaza and Towers, Boston, MA, USA

Come learn more about Continua during our Panel, "A League of Innovators: How 210 Competitors Cooperate to Run Continua and Grow a Market -- True Stories of Derring-Do, Strategic Tradeoffs and Occasional Misadventures" 11:30 am ET on Thursday, Oct. 22

Over the five years of its existence, the Symposium has become a world-wide crossroads of ideas, a place where the best come to exchange strategies and build relationships. The Center's mission is to support patient self-management of chronic conditions, personal maintenance of health and wellness, and aging with independence. We will be at Symposium 2009 precisely because there is so much to be accomplished, so much serious work to be done and we will be part of the solution. The time has come to put connected health to the test and into practice.

If you are focused on healthcare, fresh ideas and joining the community of interest that is moving healthcare forward, it'll all be there at the Connected Health Symposium in Boston. A special reduced rate of only $795 is available for Continua friends; please use the invitation code "Continua" when registering to receive this rate. For more information and to register, visit http://www.connected-health.org/events/symposium-2009.aspx.

Transforming Employee Healthcare Through Corporate On-Site Medical Clinics

Date: November 4-6,2009
Location: Washington DC, USA

Join us November 4-6, 2009 in Washington, D.C. for a gathering of corporate leadership, administrators and financial and strategic planners who are involved in planning, implementing and managing employee healthcare plans, strategies or benefits.

LEARN ABOUT:

* Developing a customized on-site medical clinic that meets the unique needs of your employees

* Designing the right on-site medical clinic for your company size, culture and budget

* Aligning your corporate on-site medical clinic with existing healthcare plans to achieve cost savings

* Choosing the right outside vendor to design, staff and manage your corporate on-site medical clinic

* The advantages of corporate on-site medical clinics including reduced doctor's office and ER visits, referrals, and costly prescriptions

* Managing challenges to corporate on-site medical clinic management including patient privacy and medical liability issues

* Using your corporate on-site medical clinic to reduce absenteeism and maximize workforce productivity

* Offering cost-effective and convenient services to increase employee retention and overall satisfaction

* Maximizing the ROI of your corporate on-site medical clinic

* Utilizing emerging technologies to better manage patient records and clinic operations

KEY TITLES INCLUDE:
CEO, CFO, COO, Chief Human Resource Officer, Corporate Medical Director, Director/VP of Compensation and Benefits, Director/VP of HR, HR Benefit Consultants, VP Risk Management, VP Employee Relations, VP Strategic Planning, President Health and Wellness Division, Director Work/Life Solutions, Manager of Health Benefits.

For more information and/or to register please email Continua Health Alliance - Discounted Registration or calling (312) 780-0700 Ext. 220.

CES 2010: Digital Health Summit

Date: January 7-10, 2010
Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, USA

Continua will have a 20' x 20' booth in this year's Digital Health Summit, located in the LVCC North Hall. Limited booth space is still available for member companies. Please contact admin@continuaalliance.org for more information of how to take advantage of this opportunity!

World of Health IT Conference

Date: March 15-18, 2010
Location: Barcelona, Spain

Early bird rates for Continua Members are extended to August 31, 2009.

The 4th edition of the World of Health IT Conference and Exhibition will provide unprecedented opportunities to both attendees and exhibitors, as it will be held in conjunction with the yearly eHealthHigh Level Conference - eHealth2010 -which is co-organised by the European Commission, the Spanish presidency of the EU and the Catalonian regional government.