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  • Novartis campaign marks 10-year journey to improve Vietnamese family health

    Novartis campaign marks 10-year journey to improve Vietnamese family health

    A Novatis’s campaign has reached nearly 1.6 million people in 37 provinces and cities, providing them with information, examination and early treatment for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.

    Novartis Vietnam collaborated with Vietnam Cardiovascular Foundation and the southern Long An Province to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the “Healthy Family” program on Nov. 11, marking a decade of accompanying Vietnamese people in improving health quality.

    The event was attended by representatives of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Long An, Yen Bai, Bac Ninh, Phu Yen, Thai Nguyen, Dak Lak, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh provinces.

    To create opportunities for more people to have easy access to medical services, since 2012, Novartis has implemented “Healthy Family” program, with the companionship of Vietnam Cardiovascular Foundation and local health departments. The program cooperates with health centers to conduct screening sessions and disseminate information about hypertension and diabetes for people over 40 years old in districts across the country, with priority given to remote areas.

    By 2021, “Healthy Family” program has reached nearly 1.6 million people in 37 provinces and cities such as Lang Son, Bac Giang, Yen Bai, Bac Ninh, Phu Yen, Thai Nguyen, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Nghe An, Quang Binh, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Dong Thap …

    Each year, the program reached approximately 200,000 people in 15 localities, with an annual budget of up to VND6-7 billion. Through the program, people could access basic knowledge about diseases and be screened for diabetes and hypertension.

    About 15-20% of participants were detected and diagnosed with signs of high blood pressure, 7-8% had high blood sugar and continued to be monitored at health stations.

    In addition, the program also strengthened the consulting capacity and expertise of local health workers, thereby improving the quality of community health care.

    “Overcoming geographical constraints, we implement “Healthy Family” program with the aim of helping people access good health services at an affordable cost. The 10-year journey has confirmed the sustainability and maintainability of the program as well as Novartis’ commitment to the health of Vietnamese people,” Carolyne Hall Director, Global Health Access Solution Center of Excellence, Novartis global, said.

    The Novartis representative also expressed her desire to expand the program scale year after year, with the first step of expanding to one more province each year, and at the same time, supplement interventions related to other chronic diseases such as heart failure and breast cancer.

    Grassroots medical care in remote areas

    Among the common chronic diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are now four times the cause of death than infectious diseases. Not only in developed countries but also in developing ones, the risk factors for NCDs – such as sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets – are being multiplied.

    Hypertension and diabetes are two common non-communicable diseases and require regular and long-term treatment. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, 60% of people with high blood pressure in Vietnam have not been detected and over 80% have not been treated. In recent years, this pathology is getting younger. Hypertension is considered a silent killer and is the leading cause of death.

    Diabetes is increasing steadily in recent years globally. According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation, in 2017, approximately 425 milion people had dibetes in the world. In Vietnam, about 3.5 milion peoples had been living with this disease.

    However, access to primary care and resources are scarce in some remote localities. In provinces such as Bac Giang, Yen Bai, Lang Son, and Dak Lak… health stations are far away from where they live, traffic is obstructed, human resources for medical staff, doctors and medicines are still limited.

    Therefore, many people have missed the opportunity to be screened early, and missed the golden time for treatment. On the other hand, some refuse to get medical examination and treatment locally, leading to overcrowding at central hospitals. This is also part of the reason for the widespread burden on the medical care in Vietnam, and at the same time hinders the long-term improvement of Vietnamese people’s health.

    Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, Novartis uses innovative science and digital technologies to transform treatments in areas of great medical need.

    Novartis products reach nearly 800 million people globally. About 11

  • 8 Useful Tips for Improving the Learning Process in Healthcare

    8 Useful Tips for Improving the Learning Process in Healthcare

    Healthcare is an ever-growing industry, and the need for skilled professionals continues to grow. With the advent of new technologies and changes within the healthcare system, organizations must invest in developing their employees.

    This article provides ten valuable tips for developing the skills your healthcare organization needs. These tips will help you equip your team with the skills they need to meet future challenges.

    1. Understand the skills your healthcare organization needs

    The first step in developing your healthcare organization’s skills is to define those needs. Consider your organization’s challenges and the skills required to meet those challenges.  

    Consider consulting with experts or conducting research to identify the skills your organization will need in the future.

    2. Evaluate the skills of your current employees

    Once you have identified the skills your healthcare organization will need, you should assess the skills of your current employees. This will help you understand the gaps in your workforce and your employees’ training and development needs.

    For example, if your organization is implementing a new electronic health record system, you will need employees with the skills to use the system. You will also need employees who can train others to use the system.

    3. Develop a plan to address skills gaps

    After you have identified the skills your healthcare organization needs and assessed the skills of your current employees, you should develop a plan to address any skills gaps.

    There are a variety of ways to address skills gaps, such as:

    – Training and development programs

    – Job shadowing and mentorship programs

    – Cross-training employees

    4. Implement a training and development program

    One of the most effective ways to address skills gaps is by implementing a training and development program. Training and development programs can help employees learn and improve their existing skills.

    When developing a training and development program, you should consider the needs of your employees and the resources available to you. For example, you may want to consider online training programs or classroom-based training programs.

    5. Create a mentorship program

    Mentorship programs can be an effective way to develop the skills of your healthcare organization. In a mentorship program, employees are paired with more experienced employees. The mentee shadows their mentor and learns from their experience.

    Suppose you want to mentor a group of employees on how to use the electronic health record system. You can pair each employee with a more experienced employee who can show them how to use the system.

    6. Use LMS to improve employee development

    Many healthcare organizations use LMS to track employee development and manage training programs. You can easily create a training program and manage the training process using an LMS like Cornerstone LMS.

    You can identify gaps in their knowledge by tracking employees’ skills and progress. You can provide additional training or mentorship to help them address these gaps. Also, by using an LMS to manage employee development, you can improve the overall efficiency of your training program.

    7. Foster a learning environment

    To develop the skills of your healthcare organization, you must create a learning environment. In a learning environment, employees feel comfortable asking questions and seeking help.

    There are a variety of ways to foster a learning environment, such as:

    – Encouraging employees to ask questions

    – Providing opportunities for employees to share their knowledge

    – Encouraging employees to learn from their mistakes

    8. Evaluate your progress

    As you implement your plan to develop the skills of your healthcare organization, you should periodically evaluate your progress. This will help you identify any problems with your plan and make necessary adjustments.

    It would help if you considered conducting surveys or focus groups with employees to gather feedback on your training and development programs. You can also review data on employee development, such as the number of employees who have completed training programs.

    Conclusion

    Employees need to be able to develop their skills to keep up with the changing demands of the healthcare industry. 

    You can help employees stay on top of their game by using resources such as training and mentorship programs. 

    Also, the above tips may help you find new ways to improve your organization’s overall employee development process.

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  • Google will soon allow you to book a healthcare appointment using search

    Google will soon allow you to book a healthcare appointment using search

    Google announced today that it is making it easier and faster to find appointments for healthcare providers. A new feature will allow users to check the availability of appointment openings at certain medical facilities and book an appointment. Google says that it is in the early stages of rolling out this feature and is working with its partners which include quick care provider MinuteClinic at CVS.

    Google says, “We hope to expand features, functionality, and our network of partners so we can make it easier for people to get the care they need.” Imagine how fast and easy it will be to use your phone to look up MinuteClinic in your city and tap on the Appointments tab. That will bring up a list of appointments available for certain conditions that you can book immediately from the display.

    Today is Google’s second annual Health event that it calls The Check-Up. Teams from Search, YouTube, Fitbit, Care Studio, Health AI, Cloud and Advanced Technologies and Projects will be making presentations about their latest healthcare initiatives. For example, starting this week in Japan, Brazil, and India, YouTube is adding health source information panels on videos to help viewers differentiate between real factual medical information and made-up phony misinformation that you see on social media.

    Also involved is the Fitbit team. During today’s event, Fitbit co-founder James Park explained how wearable devices can help those with chronic conditions including heart problems such as atrial fibrillation (AFib). A study conducted by Fitbit has been able to identify undiagnosed AFib 98% of the time.

    Google has submitted its algorithm to the FDA for review and going out on a limb here, we would imagine that this algorithm could end up on a Fitbit wearable helping ordinary consumers learn whether they have AFib. This algorithm also could make its way to Wear OS in the future.

    So if you’re fed up playing phone tag with your doctor’s office, or are not feeling well enough to sit on hold and listen to muzak so bad that even elevators can’t stand hearing these tunes, relief is on the way from Google.

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  • Apple tries to dismiss $800 million lawsuit over coronavirus app

    Apple tries to dismiss $800 million lawsuit over coronavirus app

    Although Apple continues to enjoy booming business worldwide, it doesn’t seem very fortunate when it comes to the number of lawsuits filed against it this year. We’ve already lost count of all the anti-trust violation lawsuits that have bombarded the company, including its “battle royale” with Epic Games, and others.

    This time, the tech giant is dealing with a pretty serious lawsuit coming from the developers of an app called “Coronavirus Reporter.”

    Earlier this year, Coronavirus Reporter planned to be the first COVID-related app in the App Store, intending to “capture and obtain critical biostatistical and epidemiological data as it happened” by collecting self-identified COVID symptoms from people, and presenting symptomatic regions on a map.

    After the app was rejected once in January, the developers filed an appeal, and requested that Apple allow the kind of content that Coronavirus Reporter would offer into the App Store.

    After the rejection, the plaintiff asked Apple to “expand the rule to allow corporations other than insurance companies, such as biotechnology or bioinformatics firms. Apple agreed, and added health care corporations to the list of permissible entities.”

    After Apple acquiesced, the app applied a second time to be offered in the App Store, even after providing additional documentation—but was promptly dismissed “for no good reason,” its developers claim.

    Following the second rejection, the app’s developers sued Apple again on the grounds that it rejected what could have been an important contribution to society, in order to maintain its monopoly on COVID exposure notifications (which Apple already channels).

    Apple responded that monopoly had nothing to do with it, but that Apple’s policy forbids applications from companies that are not part of approved healthcare organizations.

    The developers countered that their company “includes the ex-NASA cardiologist responsible for creating the ‘gold standard test’ for detecting heart attacks.” They issued a second, amended complaint, where they emphasized anti-trust accusations against Apple.

    In the latest development of the case, Apple has fired back once again, claiming that the developers of Coronavirus Reporter are blindly drawing on irrelevant antitrust cases in an attempt to play the white knight, in a case that is an isolated scenario.

    Apple argued that Coronavirus Reporter’s revised $800 million lawsuit [simply repeated its original allegations, that the developer erroneously added five unnamed apps purporting to be plaintiffs, and copied and pasted claims from at least three other pending antitrust cases against the company in the Northern District of California.

    Apple’s new filing, calling for the case to be dismissed, is constituted by a public 26-page long document—apart from that, Apple has issued no comment on the matter.

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  • Abbott accelerates healthcare transformation in Vietnam

    Abbott accelerates healthcare transformation in Vietnam

    A conference will be held in Hanoi this month to accelerate digital transformation in the health sector, using technological achievements to raise the quality of treatments as Vietnam seeks to expand its remote healthcare network nationwide.

    Overview and approaches of the sector’s digital transformation will be high on the agenda of eHealth Vietnam Summit 2020, to be held by the Health Ministry on December 29-30, organizers stated on the event website.

    Remote healthcare consultation and support has become critically important this year when travel is restricted and hospitals face huge challenges due to Covid-19.

    Vietnam, which has been praised by the international community for its success in containing the outbreaks, has established Telehealth, a network aimed to connect some 14,000 health facilities nationwide and link them with other countries in the medical field, part of the nation’s digital transformation program towards 2025, with a vision to 2030.

    The network will allow people nationwide to access medical services, receive consultation and treatment by doctors from higher-level hospitals remotely, thus reducing patient congestion at central hospitals, said a report shared on the Ministry of Health website in September. By late September 2020, the network had connected 1,000 medical examination and treatment facilities with nearly 30 key hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the ministry stated. In late November, it required all hospitals in the country to connect to the network for treatment, practice sharing, and learning.

    Amid the country’s drive for digital transformation this year, Abbott, the Chicago-based company on the forefront of innovation for more than 130 years, has continuously brought life-changing technologies and breakthroughs in diagnostics, medical devices, medicine and nutrition to Vietnam. This demonstrates the company’s long-standing commitment as a strategic partner to shape the future of healthcare in Vietnam and the region.

    In order to boost speed, efficiency and accuracy in patient diagnosis and treatment, Abbott has brought in Alinity, a family of systems that reinvents the way diagnostic laboratories work by simplifying diagnosis.

    Alinity, derived from Alignment, Innovation and Unity, has been made available in 18 hospitals and six blood banks including Medic, Cho Ray Hospital, Tu Du Hospital, Hung Vuong Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City Medical University Hospital, Danang General Hospital, DIAG, Hanoi Medical University Hospital and the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

    In 2020, Abbott introduced Alinity m, its latest new-generation platform, fully integrated and automated molecular diagnostics analyzer that uses innovative technology to deliver greater flexibility and efficiency. The platform is now available in hospitals and healthcare facilities including Military Hospital 108, Medic, Medlatec, Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi as well as Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

    Vietnam’s health facilities are utilizing Abbott’s advanced technology, diagnostics systems and devices, including High-Sensitivity Troponin-I Test, DBS viral loading test and first-of-its-kind, life-saving device MitraClip designed for those with common heart valve disorders.

    High-Sensitivity Troponin-I Test, also known as Hs Troponin-I test, aims to check the level of troponin, a protein found specifically in heart muscle cells. A high content of the macronutrient detected from the test provides better predictive information for determining a person’s chances of developing future heart disease when added to the current standard of care.

    The test also offers gender-specific cut-offs, allowing physicians to more accurately diagnose myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attacks, in women. A study published in the British Medical Journal found Abbott’s test uncovered twice as many heart attacks in women than standard troponin screening. It is exceptionally crucial for doctors to conduct early diagnosis of a heart attack to act quickly in critical moments. As in Vietnam, one out of three people suffers a heart attack each year.

    Abbott’s Hs Troponin-I test has become the first and only approved by the Health Ministry to aid cardiac risk stratification thanks to its significance and efficiency. Therefore, the test now not only serves patients facing heart disease risks but is also dedicated to better health management.

    If the Hs Troponin-I test is aimed to serve a larger community, the DBS test, known as the dried blood spot test, helps ease access to HIV viral load testing for Vietnamese in remote areas as the procedure is simple and requires no refrigeration. It uses a few blood drops dried on a filter paper before being shipped to a laboratory for analysis. The process has recently been expanded to HCV testing, and proves efficient especially in this tough time of fighting the pandemic.

    In order to advance heart and cardiovascular disease treatment, Abbott has introduced minimally invasive mitral valve repair device MitraClip, a transcatheter-based device, to help Vietnamese with common heart valve disorders. The MitraClip procedure involves doctors guiding a thin tube through a patient’s vein toward the mitral valve to help it close more efficiently without open-heart surgery, thus enabling speedy recovery.

    In October, Prix Galien USA honored Abbott’s MitraClip therapy as the Best Medical Technology for 2020. Considered as the industry’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical and medical technology research, the award recognizes excellence in scientific innovation that improves the state of humankind. This device has transformed the lives of more than 100,000 people globally living with mitral regurgitation, or a leaky heart valve.

    After 25 years’ expansion in Vietnam, Abbott has achieved sustainable business growth, developed strong local talent and offered significant opportunities. The company has continuously offered Vietnam with breakthroughs in nutrition, medicines, diagnostics and medical devices.Glucerna, the newly enhanced reformulation designed to help people with diabetes, is the latest arrival from Abbott. The dual therapeutic benefits of Glucerna’s new formulation promote GLP-1 secretion with its unique nutrients and improves insulin sensitivity for better glycemic control.Vietnam has been one of the first countries where Abbott’s nutrition business has launched breakthrough products, such as Similac Eye-Q Plus with HMO that nurtures stronger immunity and brain development among babies; PediaSure MRI with Arginine and natural Vitamin K2 that help children reach their optimal growth and potential; Ensure Gold with special nutritional ingredient HMB, protein, calcium, vitamins and nutrients to help the elderly overcome the loss of muscle strength.

    Besides, Abbott has also introduced Surbex Natural Lingzhi, another science-based health supporting product available in capsules that boost immunity, enhance liver function and overall body resistance.

    Last month, Abbott again made No.1 in Pharma/Medical Equipment/Healthcare for the seventh consecutive year in the list of “Vietnam Best Places to Work 2020.” Its recognition in Vietnam affirms Abbott’s leadership in the healthcare industry, having created an innovative and winning culture that empowers employees to reach their full potential.

    Abbott and its foundation, Abbott Fund, have provided more than VND250 billion ($10.5 million) in grants and product donations to address critical health issues, focused on removing barriers preventing Vietnamese from living healthy lives, and strengthening the country’s health sector.

  • AirAsia’s new platform for medical services

    AirAsia’s new platform for medical services

    Karen Chan, chief executive officer of AirAsia.com said the digital platform is aimed at making it as seamless as possible for everyone from the initial consultation to post-treatment services. “Healthcare is essential, and its affordability and accessibility should be a right for everyone. We want to help facilitate that. AirAsia Health is where healthcare meets travel, complemented by the strength of our ecosystem encompassing travel logistics such as flights, accommodation and mobility options, enhancing the convenience factor for any medical traveller’s end-to-end journey,” she said.

    Furthermore, AirAsia Health will partner with reputable medical providers and hospitals.

    To kickstart the launch, it is offering booking for Covid-19 RT PCR tests on its platform, provided by its medical partners from Lifecare Diagnostic Medical Centre and Sunway Medical Centre.

  • StanChart Boosts Healthcare Liquidity

    StanChart Boosts Healthcare Liquidity

    Standard Chartered on Monday said it will set aside $1 billion to finance companies that are providing goods and services to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.

    The lender plans to offer financing at preferential rates to firms that are manufacturers and distributors in the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare providers, as well as manufacturers of items such as ventilators, face masks, protective equipment, and sanitizers.

    Clearly there’s a cost for companies to switch into these hugely in-demand items, so it’s an area where we can help them get up and running more quickly. At the same time, we want to make sure that existing manufacturers and service providers get the support they need, said Simon Cooper, CEO of StanChart’s corporate and institutional banking division in a media statement.

    Financing will come in the form of loans, import finance, export finance, or working capital facilities to help these firms tool up and get their products to market. The bank, which derives about two-thirds of its total operating income from Asia, is also trying to identify companies that may switch into, or add, anti-virus products to their output but have not indicated that they will do so.

    Our industry teams are looking across our client base and, given our understanding of clients’ current manufacturing processes, we’re assessing which companies might want to consider adding these items to their production line, Cooper added.

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  • Ebos confident about future growth

    Ebos confident about future growth

    Christchurch-based pharmacy and animal healthcare firm said it is confident it will see a significant increase in earnings in FY20 after reporting a less than stellar result for the year ending June.

    Company chief executive John Cullity said 2019 was a year of high activity and strategically important for the group, as it set the foundation for the next wave of growth.

    “The group continues to operate in highly competitive markets and this year was no exception,” Cullity said. “We have withstood the changing market dynamics and competitive pressures and delivered both solid underlying earnings growth and another strong cash result.”

    Ebos has posted an increase in annual net profit to $137.7 million from the $137.3 million on the previous year while sales fell 0.8 per cent to $6.93 billion, reflecting lower hepatitis C medicine sales in Australia and the impact of reform of Australia’s pharmaceutical benefits scheme. The two combined have caused reduced revenue by $425 million.

    The company posted a 5.2 per cent increase in its underlying profit.

    A loss on the sale of surplus property, transition costs for new major warehouses and transaction costs all had a $6.7 million one-off impact on the bottom line.

    Ebos spent $93.6 million on acquisitions and raised $175 million in fresh capital during the year.

    “We commenced operations in two brand new facilities in Brisbane and Sydney providing further warehouse capacity,” Cullity said.

    “We also moved to 100 per cent ownership of TerryWhite Chemmart, signed the Chemist Warehouse Group pharmaceutical contract and retained Blooms The Chemist, one of our largest independent pharmacy group customers. These were all great outcomes for our Community Pharmacy division.”

    The group’s healthcare segment generated a 4.6 per cent increase in underlying EBITDA for the year, underpinned by solid growth from their Australian business unit. In Australia, healthcare revenue declined by 3.5 per cent to $183 million, however excluding the impact of the reduction in hepatitis C sales and the impact of PBS price reforms, revenue growth increased 5.2 per cent.

    The company said the New Zealand healthcare segment delivered earnings in line with last year, with revenue growth of 8.7 per cent largely offset by higher labour and freight costs in our wholesale businesses.

    Revenue growth in community pharmacy, excluding the impact of lower Hepatitis C sales and PBS reforms, rose 3.0 per cent.

    Ebos has also announced Mark Waller will retire as director and company chair at the end of the annual meeting scheduled for October 15.

    Waller, who joined Ebos in March 1984 as chief financial officer before assuming the position of executive officer in 1987, led the group on an ambitious yet disciplined growth strategy, overseeing many successful mergers and acquisitions, including the purchase of Symbion in 2013 for $1.1 billion.

    According to the company, under Waller’s leadership, Ebos grew to become the largest trans-Tasman healthcare and animal care company with revenues in excess of $6 billion.

    After handing over the reins as CEO in 2014, Waller remained on the board before assuming the position of chairman in 2015.

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  • Apple’s healthcare unit needs to see a doctor

    Apple’s healthcare unit needs to see a doctor

    Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said healthcare would be “Apple’s greatest contribution to mankind.” It appears that Apple is having problems with this unit after a number of members have left the team. Citing eight sources said to be familiar with the situation, CNBC says that there is tension in the company’s healthcare division and the group is essentially without direction after a series of changes at the top of the unit.

    The report says that while some employees have done well, others feel stifled and closed in, unable to get the team to work on their ideas. Part of the problem is getting the unit to agree on a direction to take. Half of the eight sources say that employees wanted Apple to take on some of the larger problems that the healthcare system faces today such as medical devices, telemedicine, health payments and the treatments of chronic disease. Apple, notes the report, has instead focused on creating features for its devices that focus on wellness and prevention for healthy people. The latter end of the healthcare industry is considered to be less risky and less regulated. Despite the issues inside the group, all eight sources agreed that healthcare remains a “strategic priority” for the company.

    Apple’s healthcare features are found mainly on the Apple Watch. The heart rate monitor has saved a number of lives, and the Series 4 model added an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor that looks for abnormal heartbeats. The latter has also been a lifesaver and other watches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, also is equipped with an ECG feature. We do have to point out that it will remain disabled on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 until it receives FDA approval, expected sometime during the first half of next year. Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams is in charge of the healthcare team, and reportedly it was his idea to add sensors and algorithms to the Apple Watch once it became apparent that the device would not be a big seller as a fashion accessory.

    The company is reportedly working on a way for diabetics to measure their blood glucose levels using the Apple Watch, without having to draw blood. Currently, diabetics who depend on insulin prick themselves to draw a small drop of blood that is tested on a glucometer. This is a huge market because a new test strip is required for each test and insulin-dependent diabetics need to test themselves three or more times a day. If Apple can develop such a technology, it could take Apple’s healthcare initiative and the Apple Watch into uncharted territory. The Apple Watch happens to be the world’s top-selling smartwatch and anchors a wearables unit that saw revenue for the fiscal third quarter soar from $3.73 billion in 2018 to $5.53 billion this year. That was a 48.3% year-over-year gain.

    Earlier this year, Apple sent out a survey to check on the morale of employees in its healthcare unit. When the survey indicated that employees were not happy, Williams spoke with a number of employees to let them know that he was still committed to the business. But the executive also wears many hats at Apple and as COO he is responsible for overseeing Apple’s operations and its vast supply chain. Thus, the healthcare group might not have his full attention at times.

    Some of the sources say that Apple needs to be less secretive with its work in the $3.5 trillion healthcare industry. The company is traditionally tight-lipped about its projects, but that doesn’t fly in the world of medicine where clinical studies and published research play a big role.

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  • Apple’s mobile devices can help diagnose a serious health issue

    Apple’s mobile devices can help diagnose a serious health issue

    With Apple working hard to come up with more health-related features for its products, drugmaker Eli Lilly announced last week that certain Apple products can help spot people with dementia. Early results from a test showed that devices including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, in combination with certain apps and the Beddit sleep monitoring device, can reveal whether a person has “mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia” and “mild cognitive impairment” (MCI). The study was conducted by Apple, Lilly and health care company Evidation Health on 113 people age 60 to 75 over a period of 12 weeks.

    Those participating in the study were asked to answer a pair of one-question surveys each day. They also were asked to perform certain tasks on an app such as tapping on a circle as fast as possible and dragging on screen an object with a certain shape to another object. Other tests were performed on the participant’s ability to type and read. The results of the study were presented at the Association for Computing Machinery’s KDD conference in Anchorage and found that those with symptoms of dementia tended to type at a slower rate of speed than others, and sent fewer text messages over a set period time.

    16TB of data were collected from the participants, and the study showed that Apple devices and certain apps can help monitor symptoms of those diagnosed with MCI or mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia; detect cognitive changes that could point to MCI; test the effectiveness of treatment and therapies; and speed up the development of therapies to produce more accurate diagnostic tools.

    Over the past few years, we’ve seen how data and insights derived from wearables and mobile consumer devices have enabled people living with health conditions, along with their clinicians, to better monitor their health. We know that insight from smart devices and digital applications can lead to improved health outcomes, but we don’t yet know how those resources can be used to identify and accelerate diagnoses. The results of the trial set the groundwork for future research that may be able to help identify people with neurodegenerative conditions earlier than ever before.”-Nikki Marinsek, Ph.D., first author and data scientist, Evidation Health

    “Lilly has been leading the fight against Alzheimer’s disease for more than 30 years, and we’re broadening the application of digital health to identify tools that may improve the lives of people with chronic conditions and diseases. While further research is needed, the study findings provide important insight into the potential benefits of wearable devices in identifying chronic health conditions such as MCI, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. These findings could inform subsequent research that may eventually lead to early screening or detection tools for neurodegenerative conditions.”-Divakar Ramakrishnan, Ph.D., chief digital officer, Eli Lilly ”

    Apple has already demonstrated that it can integrate life-saving health tools in the Apple Watch; the heart-rate monitor has already saved a number of lives and the breakout feature on the Apple Watch series 4 is the electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. The latter detects abnormal heartbeats indicative of Atrial fibrillation, which can lead to blood clots, heart failure, strokes, and death. This life-saving feature has become so popular that Samsung is including it on the Galaxy Active Watch 2. However, as it did with Apple’s ECG sensor, the FDA needs to greenlight the one on Sammy’s phone. As a result, the ECG sensor will be disabled on the new Tizen-powered timepiece until sometime during the first half of next year.

    Apple released a very brief statement related to the release of the study. Myoung Cha, Apple’s Head of Health Strategic Partnerships, said, “We are excited to work alongside Lilly and Evidation in supporting the research community, as they seek to discover digital biomarkers of cognitive impairment.”

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  • Apple offers tool for diabetics that integrates with its Health app

    Apple offers tool for diabetics that integrates with its Health app

    Apple has long been rumored to be working on a way for the Apple Watch to noninvasively monitor the blood glucose levels of its users. This reading is used by diabetics to determine how much insulin they need to take before eating and usually requires a finger stick to draw blood. Such a feature for Apple’s wearable could be years away. The company has been working on becoming a major presence in the health care industry, and CEO Tim Cook says that health care will be Apple’s “greatest contribution to mankind.” With that in mind, some Apple Stores have begun to sell a blood glucose reader (called a glucometer) that syncs with the iPhone, the Apple Watch and the Apple Health app.

    The One Drop glucometer, priced at $69.95, features an iPhone app and a separate Apple Watch app. The meter itself takes the data from the blood drawn by the diabetic and sends it to the One Drop app where it is integrated with Apple’s Health app. The latter will allow diabetics to see their blood glucose data and associated analytics. There is also a subscription service that delivers test strips to users of the device. Each test requires the insertion of one strip into the glucometer.

    “I believe that Apple’s perspective on consumerized, data-driven self-care is where the industry is going to be pulled to, versus the expensive, bureaucratic, not-data driven current healthcare system. Our ability to align ourselves with that, and help drive that story, is what we see as the benefit of working with Apple.”-Jeff Dachis, CEO One Drop. The One Drop app also comes with the option of purchasing additional coaching to help users manage their diabetes. Those purchasing the One Drop glucometer will receive one free year of coaching from a certified diabetes educator. And unlike most glucometers, One Drop looks like an expensive consumer electronic device. One Drop CEO, Jeff Dachis, said that the product was created to “create a sense of love and delight” when using the product. “We share a design philosophy (with Apple)” Dachis said. “We want our products and services to be beautiful so people like them. You don’t hear the word ‘beautiful’ often in the healthcare space.”

    Perhaps someday the Apple Watch will instantly give blood glucose readings to diabetics by tapping on the screen. But until then, a device like the One Drop glucometer can be purchased and used along with the Apple Health app to help diabetics better control their disease. There are also a number of iOS apps that will track blood glucose readings, but none come with the actual glucometer required to produce those readings.

    Apple’s health initiative currently revolves around its smartwatch. The Apple Watch Series 4 offers a heart rate monitor and an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. The latter looks for an abnormal heart rate that could be a sign of Atrial fibrillation or AFib. This condition can lead to blood clots, strokes, and death. The watch also has a fall detector that is automatically enabled for owners of the device aged 65 or older. If the owner of the watch falls, the watch senses this, taps the user’s wrist and sounds an alarm. The user can then use the watch to contact emergency services or dismiss the alarm. If the watch determines that the user is not moving after about a minute, it will call 911 itself and send a message to the watch owner’s emergency contacts; that message indicates that the user has suffered a hard fall and includes the location of the injured party. These features have already saved the lives of several Apple Watch wearers.

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  • Perfect Shape Medical sales soar on network expansion

    Perfect Shape Medical sales soar on network expansion

    Hong Kong-headquartered Perfect Shape Medical has reported a 32 per cent increase in sales to HK$1.197 billion in the year to March.

    Profit for the company soared 64 per cent to $319 million.

    The company says the improved sales were in part due to the expansion of its network of new medical concept stores. Under the Perfect Shape brand, the company operates slimming and beauty services and sells slimming and beauty products in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China.

    Sales in Hong Kong rose 49 per cent to $879 million thanks to an increased spend per customer and the opening of new medical beauty concept stores.

    “As the group continues to grow, it has been closely examining the market trends,” the company said in its results statement. “To cater for different preferences of its customers, the group provided non-invasive medical beauty services to meet customers’ needs. The group has a first-mover advantage and positioned itself as a market leader in non-invasive medical beauty services in Hong Kong.”

    Revenue of $318 million from Mainland China and Macau contributed 27 per cent of the group’s total revenue. The group operates direct service centres in four mainland cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen – and in Macau. Its top-end centres can be found in prestigious shopping malls located in areas regularly frequented by high-end customers.

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  • Ecmoho Pharmacie plans US$100 million IPO

    Ecmoho Pharmacie plans US$100 million IPO

    Chinese online pharmacy Ecmoho is seeking to list on the New York Stock Exchange in order to raise US$100 million for expansion.

    According to sources cited by Bloomberg, the IPO may take place as early as this year.

    The company has declined comment on the matter and sources say the exact timing and the target to be raised may yet change.

    Based in Shanghai, Ecmoho distributes supplements and pharmaceuticals online. As well as selling direct it has stores on JD and Alibaba’s platforms.

    Ecmoho launched in 2002 as an online marketing service, transitioning into e-commerce in 2006, before sharpening its focus on the health sector in 2011. It sells products from domestic manufacturers and global brands.

    Besides Mainland China and Hong Kong, the company operates in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.

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  • Elizabeth Arden signs Ning Chang as first Asian Skincare ambassador

    Elizabeth Arden signs Ning Chang as first Asian Skincare ambassador

    Elizabeth Arden has signed Ning Chang as the brand’s first Asia ambassador for its Skincare category.

    An actress and philanthropist, Chang is also multilingual, speaking Mandarin, Taiwanese, English, and German (her birth country). She is a law graduate of the National Central University. In her new role with Elizabeth Arden, Chang will have a strong presence on social channels across the region, raising awareness of the brand’s skincare labels through advertising campaigns, with a strong focus on Elizabeth Arden’s digital strategy and engagement in Asia.

    “I am very proud to be a part of the Elizabeth Arden family,” said Chang. “I have been using the products for many years, which makes this partnership that much more special. I have the utmost assurance in the brand’s high-quality products and I happily recommend them to all of my friends. I am excited to work as a partner with the Elizabeth Arden team to share the creative innovations and history of the brand with women near and far.”

    Ava Huang, global GM at Elizabeth Arden, said Chang possesses an effortless, heartfelt personality.

    “There is a quiet yet strong elegance in her, a type of beauty that resonates well with women around the world, and particularly with women in Asia,” she said. “Her sincere attitude exemplifies the ideals of our founder. Like Elizabeth Arden, Ning’s attitude towards strong leadership, determination and spirit makes her the perfect woman to represent the brand and engage with our Asian consumers.

    “We believe this partnership will connect the brand’s commitment to innovation and quality of life while inspiring Asian women on the relentless pursuit of beauty and betterment, which Elizabeth Arden once said is the birthright of every woman.”

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  • Boots Chain Closing Down 200 Stores

    Boots Chain Closing Down 200 Stores

    The Boots chain of health & beauty stores is looking to cull as many as 200 outlets in its home UK market as its US parent embarks on a strategic review.

    Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) says the Boots business saw profits fall 20 percent to £398 million for the year to August 31. Sales slipped 0.8 percent to £6.7 billion during the period.

    Many of the Boots chain stores would close when their current leases expire. Others which are performing badly, would be shuttered more quickly, especially in smaller towns where there are two stores operating yet one would suffice.

    WBA will review the future of 2500 stores worldwide, including about 200 in the UK, which is equivalent to about 10 percent of Boots’ local network.

    Patrick O’Brien, UK retail-research director at GlobalData, said the Boots closures are overdue.

    “It has taken Boots a long time to address the midmarket squeeze that has wrought so much damage to major multichannel retailers in other sectors such as food, fashion and department stores. Shoppers have been trading down to discounters, and trading up to higher-end retailers for more expensive treats and gifts,” he said.

    “Like Tesco and M&S it has actually been in this predicament for years, but unlike them, it has done little to address the issue until very recently, and now we have to wonder if Boots has left it too late to halt its market share decline.”

    O’Brien said a long-term lack of investment in stores has become more noticeable to shoppers.

    “Its dated approach also extends to pricing, where multi-buy promotions and a generous loyalty scheme have made its shelf edge prices uncompetitive with discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and Savers, who have all been eating into its market share in health & beauty,” he concluded.