[Current trends and prospects of development of biofeedback hardware].

Current trends in the development of biofeedback hardware are considered. At present, computer-based systems hold the leading positions on the market of biofeedback devices. Development of computer technologies affects the design of biofeedback hardware. One of the trends in the evolution of biofeedback devices is the simplification of electronic circuitry, while an increasing role in the signal processing is allocated to a computer. Modern wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth and ZigBee, hold much promise for the development of biofeedback hardware.

El proceso tecnológico en Radioterapia. Su relevancia clínica / The technological process in Radiotherapy. Its clinical relevance

El objetivo de este trabajo e sir desarrollando y comentando los diversos avances que se han producido en las fases fundamentales del tratamiento de radioterapia así como señalar cuales pueden ser los futuros posibles desarrollos de los mismos. De una forma clara y simple se abordan los grandes avances tecnológicos producidos en los últimos años y s repercusión en la mejora y precisión de la radioterapia (AU)

This work mentions the different developments produced in the fundamental phases of Radiotherapy treatment, as well as the possible developments which may be produced in the future (AU)

Toward technical interoperability in telemedicine.

For telemedicine to realize the vision of anywhere, anytime access to care, the question of how to create a fully interoperable technical infrastructure must be addressed. After briefly discussing how "technical interoperability" compares with other types of interoperability being addressed in the telemedicine community today, this paper describes reasons for pursuing technical interoperability, presents a proposed framework for realizing technical interoperability, identifies key issues that will need to be addressed if technical interoperability is to be achieved, and suggests a course of action that the telemedicine community might follow to accomplish this goal.

From pharmacovigilance to pharmacoperformance.

The pharmaceutical industry is going through a period of enormous upheaval, as new sciences, technologies and commercial pressures reshape the way in which it performs research and development. PwC Consulting estimates that the top 20 companies will each need to launch between four and six times the number of drugs they currently produce, as well as improving the quality of those drugs, merely to maintain shareholder returns. This has huge implications for pharmacovigilance departments. More drugs means more trials, more patients and -- of course -- more safety reports for evaluation. The pharmacovigilance teams in most big companies are ill prepared for this transition being already stretched to the limit. But as demand for patients to participate in clinical trials increases -- with shorter development times, higher success rates in discovery and greater productivity -- so companies with a poor reputation for safety will suffer. What is it then that companies should be doing to remain compliant and be seen to be safe in the eyes of the consumer? Can pharmacoepidemiology support both molecules in the marketplace as well as those in research and development and what is really needed to enable this? Key to success will be the ability to capture, analyse and evaluate data (from disparate sources) in real time and to make rapid decisions on the appropriate course of action. Putting better structures, processes and technological platforms in place to cope with a big increase in throughput is only a short-term solution yet is it enough to fulfil the objective in the long-term of ensuring compliance and patient safety?

Can computer-aided systems engineering tools enhance the development of health care information systems? A critical analysis.

Computer-aided systems engineering (CASE) is a software technology that helps systems developers write complex application programs. CASE has been identified as having the potential to help health information systems developers complete large-scale projects such as the computer-based patient record or community health information network. The article evaluates the current use of CASE in health care and other settings through a review of the literature. There is no consensus on the value of CASE. Many experts believe that it is an emerging technology that will become widespread, whereas others see it as expensive and cumbersome to use.