Check the Med-e-Tel 2017 conference program for some final updates to the schedule.

Med-e-Tel 2017 features a look at a wide range of telemedicine/telehealth and m/eHealth initiatives around the world, from members of the global ISfTeH network, as well as other organizations who are active in this field as technology provider, healthcare provider, policy maker or researcher and developer.

Above all, it is a place to establish some new contacts and to look at collaboration opportunities.

The Med-e-Tel 2017 expo and networking area features a variety of young companies, established companies, associations and organisations who will provide practical, hands-on demonstrations of their solutions or provide information about their services and activities.

Details of the conference program and expo are available at www.medetel.eu.

Join us and be a part of this exciting program and networking event. Hear from and meet with colleagues from around Europe and the rest of the world, and develop new partnerships for collaboration. Register at www.medetel.eu. Or contact [email protected] for more information.

You can still register this week in advance for Med-e-Tel 2017 and arrive "all set" at the event next week and simply pick up your badge when arriving. Register here and gain access to all conference sessions, expo/networking area, and two evening networking receptions.

International SOS - an ISfTeH Corporate Member - delivers integrated medical solutions to remote and extreme remote onshore and offshore projects worldwide, using highly trained and experienced medics with a robust system of protocols, procedures and clear escalation criteria to their Topside support centers. To enable improved medical escalations from the remote sites, International SOS has developed a customized, online communication tool called the Digital Topside Platform (DTP). The system was designed to allow simplified telemedical interaction, improved data security, and enable integrated patient care from initial presentation to return to work, with a focus on managing the case on-site, and patient confidentiality. The design process included a focus on user experience and workflow optimization, and an iterative development methodology. The solution was designed for non-urgent cases, which represents over 80% of case escalation volume. Improvements shown with the use of this system were: (1) reduced need for urgent medical evacuation for non-life threatening conditions; (2) increased adherence to evidence based guidelines via more efficient clinical governance processes; (3) faster escalation processes via profile management and system integration; and (4) early escalation of work related injury cases resulting in reduced time off work.

Hear from International SOS' Regional Medical Director, Dr. Lars Petersen, at Med-e-Tel 2017 about these experiences. The presentation will be part of a wider focus on " Teleconsultation and Virtual Care" during a plenary session on the morning of April 6th, with additional contributions from Medgate, HOPI Medical, ViViDoctor, Comarch Healthcare, Swedish Telepsychiatry, Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais, Mayo Clinic.

Maincare Solutions is the integrated care provider of choice for France and surrounding markets, with key focus on supporting hospital and private clinic processes (clinical, revenue cycle, workforce) and facilitate their transformation at group level.

Facing the major societal challenges of chronic disease and country healthcare cost optimization, Maincare also enables patients care pathways at regional level to improve quality of care, patient engagement and to provide next generation tools to healthcare professionals. It's technology expertise ranges from massive transactional systems to telemedicine, electronic patients records, mobility and SaaS-based healthcare analytics, with experience in large-scale eHealth projects such as the Luxembourg eHealth Platform and shared patient record, OIIS eHealth project and portal on Reunion Island (Indian Ocean), and the French Caribbean regional platforms.

Learn more at Med-e-Tel about the following services and solutions from Maincare:

	Integrated Digital Agency			eHealth Foundation for Collaborative Care
	Telemedicine and Telemonitoring			SaaS-based eLearning Platform
	Integrated Electronic Patient Record			Case Management

Maincare will also provide a presentation on " multidisciplinary consultation meetings in oncology" (within the frame of the Luxembourg National Cancer Plan) during a session presented by Agence eSanté Luxembourg on Wednesday afternoon, April 5th.

A defining characteristic of today's data-rich society is the collection, storage, processing and analysis of immense amounts of data. Big Data in healthcare is generated from an increasing number of sources and offers possibilities for new insights, for understanding human systems at the systemic level to develop personalised medicine, prevent diseases and support healthy life.

Primary sources are new eHealth personal solutions, but also mobile apps for health and wellbeing. In addition, social networks can be considered for integrating the social dimension in the analysis of health and wellbeing scenarios. It is important to assure ethical aspects of data, confidentiality, anonymity of data transfer.

The Luxembourg eHealth Agency will, together with some of it partners address this topic of " Big Data for Public Health" during the Med-e-Tel 2017 conference on Thursday April 6th. Topics and speakers at the session include:

• How Does the National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson's Disease Benefit from Forward-thinking IT Infrastructure and Data Capture? (Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg)
• Data Protection: A Threat to Big Data or Was it the other Way Round? (Deloitte, Luxembourg)
• Improving Quality and Management of (Bio)Medical Data: Bridging the Valley of Death towards Personalized Medicine (ITTM - Information Technology for Translational Medicine, Luxembourg)
• Assurance-Assistance and Health Data Exchange in Accordance with the New European Regulation - GDPR (QualyCloud, France)
• Big Data in Health: Current and Future Initiatives of the European Commission (DG Health and Food Safety, European Commission)
• Tools Facilitating Data Analysis and Exploitation in the Laboratory Domain (Laboratoires Réunis, Luxembourg)

French start-up Avalun will be participating at three "connected health" events over the next two months, including Med-e-Tel, to introduce its connected POC testing LabPad, an innovative medical device for near-patient testing.

Avalun is a spin-off company from the top French research center CEA/Leti and developed the LabPad, a connected "Handy Lab" designed to address the needs for multiparametric near-patient testing. Based on a unique and patented lensless optical technology, this smart system consists of a fully automated "miniaturized microscope" and a range of Tsmart single-use microcuvettes integrating innovative microfluidics. LabPad is a generic platform enabling measurements with the same device in the fields of:

• Hemostasis, in particular with the PT/INR test;
• Biochemistry, in particular for blood glucose;
• Immunohematology, in particular for direct blood typing;
• Cytology;
• Immunology, for measuring different biomarkers.

Building on these unique features, Avalun's objective is to provide patients and healthcare professionals "here and now" with the reliable biological parameters they need. Special attention is paid to its functionalities and its ergonomics so that smooth integration into care processes can be obtained (based on usage & attitude studies carried out by Pierre Mendès-France University in France and, more specifically focused on the environment of the "connected patient", by Sherbrooke University in Canada).

The first Tsmart to be marketed makes it possible to measure coagulation time (PT/INR test). Additional tests are currently being designed, either by Avalun itself or by its partners. To accelerate the availability of new tests, Avalun intends to promote cooperation with in-vitro diagnostics players wishing to benefit from its technology.

Meet with Avalun at Med-e-Tel and discover their new device and solutions!

The above topics...and more are all featured in the " Telecardiology Workshop" that is scheduled on the afternoon of April 4th, as a pre-conference session to the Med-e-Tel conference. The workshop focuses on the discussion of long-time experiences of telecardiology and tele-ECG services as well as new approaches and successful applications in cardiac monitoring and data analysis, and technological solutions and platforms, and provides an opportunity for technology providers and healthcare professionals to debate on the challenges, opportunities and results of the implementation of telemedicine/telehealth solutions.

Program of the workshop is available here and features contributions from the following organizations:

Educational Program Endorsed by:

If you would like to attend this workshop, contact us at [email protected] for registration. If you are already attending Med-e-Tel and also would like to join this Telecardiology Workshop, contact us at [email protected] as well to confirm your participation.

To follow are links to some interesting and recently published articles, books, studies, interviews and reports (if you would like to suggest an article for inclusion into a following newsletter, feel free to send details to [email protected]):

• Telemedicine to Improve Access to Specialist Care in Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring: Analysis of 17 Years of TOCOMAT Network Clinical Activity (Telemedicine and e-Health)
• Using Mobile-Health to Connect Women with Cardiovascular Disease and Improve Self-Management (Telemedicine and e-Health)
• Using Technology to Reduce Falls at Home (HomeCare)
• At the intersection of cancer treatment and technology, it's more evolution than revolution (MedCity News)
• Waikato telehealth expert paints picture of bright virtual future (New Zealand Doctor Online) 
• Mount Sinai Touts Success of mHealth Asthma Project (mHealthIntelligence)
• mHealth Improves Patient Engagement (Specialty Pharmacy Times)
• Providing Insights for Cancer Decisions (Federal Telemedicine News)
• I've got 99 problems but a phone ain't one: Electronic and mobile health in low and middle income countries (Archives of Disease in Childhood, BMJ)
• How to get better value from telehealth (Healthcare Dive)
• mHealth intervention to support asthma self-management in adolescents: the ADAPT study (Patient Preference and Adherence, Dovepress)
• The Evolving Role of mHealth in Medication Management and Adherence (mHealth Intelligence)
• What are small practices saying about telemedicine? (Medical Economics)
• Telemedicine's prognosis good, advocates say (Finance & Commerce)
• Healthcare Looks to Digital Health Tools to Measure Heart Health (mHealthIntelligence)
• New Study Gives mHealth High Marks in Children's Health (mHealthIntelligence)
• Three-Fourths of Patients Want More Access to Digital Health Tools (Internet Health Management)