The “pharmacy of the future” recently opened at USF HEALTH, with officials promising to create a national prototype for providing innovative patient engagement, education and monitoring. An Rx robot dispenses medications. A system of integrated electronic medical records provides seamless information. A variety of apps for tablets, smartphones and laptops literally give patients instant access to care. And QR codes directpatients to the web for more details about their condition and the medications prescribed for them, among other features. Plus, the setting indeed looks the part.
Florida Healthcare News Sept. 2014
Hundreds of leaders from an assortment of industries convened in Tampa Sept. 16-18 for MediFuture, an invitation-only event showcasing the future of a rapidly transforming health-care system. MediFuture presented a new view of health care that is patient-centered, consumer-driven and value-based. Leading experts predict that over the next decade more than $1 trillion in health-care spending will migrate to new entities, new industry segments and traditional companies that are delivering on value. The event was hosted in part by the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp.
A biodegradable pin that also aids healing? One researcher at the University of Florida has answered, yes, with a surgical pin made from magnesium. Now that researcher, Michele Manuel, is working to control the rate at which the pin degrades in the body. Controlling the rate at which magnesium breaks down avoids the inadvertent creation of hydrogen bubbles under the skin.
Where is Florida in comparison to other states when it comes to telehealth? While the 2014 Legislative Session saw significant discussion regarding the use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care and related concerns, lawmakers did not pass any legislation on the issue. That’s the contention of the nonprofit organization TaxWatch, which hosts the Telehealth Cornerstone Conference Nov. 19-20 in Tallahassee to foster discussion.
USF’s Center for Drug Discovery and Innovation and the Department of Chemistry have received a new award for marine research in the Antarctic. The $1.7 million award from the National Science Foundation will support research focused on marine chemical ecology. In other news: Will USF Health expand its current campus or move to downtown Tampa? With the University of South FloridaÕs health programs steadily growing, that pressing question has prompted USF officials to explore options. USF Health already has a presence downtown with its Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation. Stay tuned.
The pharmacy of the future recently opened at USF Health, with officials promising to create a national prototype for providing innovative patient engagement, education and monitoring. An Rx robot dispenses medications. A system of integrated electronic medical records provides seamless information. A variety of apps for tablets, smartphones and laptops literally give patients instant access to care. And QR codes direct patients to the web for more details about their condition and the medications prescribed for them, among other features. Plus, the setting indeed looks the part.