In 2010, the European Union banned the use of chimpanzees in medical research, following the lead of New Zealand, Japan and Australia. Chimpanzees, which are used in biomedical research, have been especially important for scientists studying monoclonal antibodies, Hepatitis C, and cognition. Recently however, the United State’s National Institutes of Health agreed to significantly reduce the number of chimpanzees used in medical research, after finding that most chimp-based studies are unwarranted. Prior to the ban, no chimps had been used in an European Union facility since 1999. Read further >

I’ve written before about how technology is working hard to make managing your health an easier task – from glucose monitoring systems built into your smart phone to medication bottles that can text you when you forget to take a pill- but do you embrace these changes or give it a wary eye? Read further >

According to the Global Food Safety Index, the United States ranks first in the world for overall food safety, followed closely by Denmark, Norway and France. The analysis, which looks at three categories across 105 countries, measures food affordability, food availability and food quality and safety. But what does it say that the number one country for food safety has had 30 food related recalls announced by the Food and Drug Administration in August (2012) alone?And what can technology do to help protect the food supply? Read further >

In the United States there has been a recent trend of meshing smart devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers with traditional health devices. Earlier we discussed medication bottles that can text smart phones to remind individuals to take their vital medications. Similarly there is growing scrutiny for smart device applications that act as a medical device. Smart device apps (that consumers can buy from an app store such as iTunes) can help an individual monitor their heart rate, take their blood pressure, identify medications and help to analyze radiology scans. Unlike an app for a fun video game, when these apps fail, someone’s life might be hanging in the balance. Read further >

At the end of April the United States Food and Drug Administration announced it was approving an antibiotic to treat patients with the plague, a very rare bacterial infection, most commonly presenting as cases of bubonic plague (infection of the lymph nodes), pneumonic plague (infection of the lungs), or septicemic plague (infection of the blood). Cases of the plague are very rare anywhere in the world (1000-2000 annually) but the approval highlights the global view on antibiotics in light of emerging and remerging infectious disease. Read further >

As the “e-health” arena continues to grow with electronic health records in the United States, a continuing demand for Universal Patient Identification Numbers to link electronic records around the globe and fast paced integration of hand held electronic devices in exam and operating rooms around the world, it isn’t hard to imagine that the costs of securing this information is growing rapidly as well. A recently published report estimates that by 2015, spending on security will reach 70 billion annually in the United States alone. Read further >

Recently the Health Wolters Kluwer Law and Business blog featured an article about technology that helps individuals take care of themselves and loved ones; including “…technology that electronically dispenses pills, or, in the case of the AT&T Vitality GlowCaps, keep patients on a correct medication schedule. The GlowCaps are medication bottle caps that light up, play ringtones, or send a call/text the patient to remind them to take the pill.” As mobile enabled services become a key component of healthcare around the world, it is important to keep tabs on this developing industry. Read further >

Bisphenol A or BPA is an organic compound that has quickly fallen out of favor and into the news headlines in the past few years. Used in making polycarbonate polymers and epoxy resins which are materials to make plastics, BPA emits hormone-like properties that are weak but detectable, leading to a public outcry of its use in items such as food storage, baby bottles, water bottles and plastic utensils. As with many substances, the United States and countries of the European Union remain divided in how they are handling BPA. Read further >

With growing emphasis on electronic health record systems in the United States, a louder discussion is beginning on whether or not a universal patient identification number or “UPI” should be issued to citizen patients across the country. Similar to a Social Security Number, a UPI would belong to a person for life and would be used to identify all of their medical records over their lifetime, making records easily connected and accessible to physicians and hospitals across the country. The Wall Street Journal recently ran a poll for their readers, asking whether or not patients should have a UPI assigned for their medical records, after discussing the privacy concerns and the logistical benefits. Proponents of a unique identification number argue that the number would: Read further >