Medical technology

Medical technology is a part of the Health technology which encompasses a wide range of health care products and, in two form or another, is used to diagnose, monitor or treat every disease or condition that affects humans. These innovative technologies (application of science and technology) are improving the quality of health care delivered and patient outcomes through earlier diagnosis, less invasive treatment options and reductions in hospital stays and rehabilitation times.

Health technology is:

Any intervention that may be used to promote health, to prevent, diagnose or treat disease or for rehabilitation or long-term care. This includes the pharmaceuticals, devices, procedures and organizational systems used in health care.

Definition

{{Quote|Medical technology extend and improves life. It alleviates pain, injury and handicap. Its role in healthcare is essential. Incessant medical technology innovation enhances the quality and effectiveness of care. Billions of patients worldwide depend on medical technology at home, at the doctor’s, at hospital and in nursing homes. Wheelchairs, pacemakers, orthopedic shoes, spectacles and contact lenses, insulin pens, hip prostheses, condoms, oxygen masks, dental floss, MRI scanners, pregnancy tests, surgical instruments, bandages, syringes, life-support machines: more than 500,000 products (10,000 generic groups) are available today. Medical technology represents only 6,3% of total healthcare expenditure in Europe - a modest share if you consider the benefits for every member of society.| EUCOMED.}

Allied health profession

The term Medical technology may also refer to the duties performed by clinical laboratory professionals in various settings within the public and private sectors. The work of these professionals encompass clinical applications of chemistry, genetics, hematology, immunohematology (blood banking), immunology, microbiology, serology, urinalysis and miscellaneous body fluid analysis. These professionals may be referred to as Medical Technologists (MT) and Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT) or as Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS) and Clinical Laboratory Technicians (CLT) depending on education, certification and/or licensure. The term medical technologist in this sense is sometimes considered a misnomer due to the fact that these professionals do not actually produce novel medical technology but rather apply the ones already in place in conjunction with the knowledge of the scientific principles of clinical laboratory science, which has been considered a more appropriate term for the discipline.

(source:bloomberg.com)

Boston Scientific spent $490,000 lobbying in 3Q

WASHINGTON (Lobbying Activist) — Medical device maker Boston Scientific Corp. spent $490,000 in the third quarter to lobby the federal government on the recently passed health reform law as well as other health care-related matters.

The Natick, Mass.-based company's lobbying budget was up slightly from the $480,000 it spent in the second quarter and the prior-year period.

Boston Scientific lobbied on details of the health care bill signed into law in March, which calls on medical device makers to pay between $2 billion and $3 billion in fees per year to fund the expansion of health care coverage. The implementation of some items is still being worked out.

While industry executives have complained about the fees, Democratic lawmakers say that device companies will benefit from health care reform as more patients are eligible to get their products.

Boston Scientific also lobbied on a provision that requires drug and medical device manufacturers to disclose gifts given to physicians by their salespeople. The legislation aims to curb corporate influence over medicine.

Boston Scientific, which makes heart-pacing devices and surgical implants, also lobbied on bills that would task a federally-sponsored panel with comparing the effectiveness of different drugs, devices and medical procedures. The effort aims to cut wasteful spending on ineffective treatments. The medical device industry and others have maintained that any government assessments should not be used to deny coverage of expensive medical technology.

Company representatives also lobbied on corporate taxation and labor issues.

Along with Congress, the company lobbied the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other agencies, according to a form filed Oct. 18 with the House clerk's office.

(source:bloomberg.com)

Breast cancer lobbying by marathon

Pat Riviere-Seel had run three marathons, countless half-marathons, ate lots of fruits and vegetables, was the walking picture of health.

“I was one of those people who weren’t supposed to get breast cancer,” said Riviere-Seel, who had worked as a reporter and lobbyist before turning her full attention to poetry writing in recent years.

“I do everything right. I eat healthy, I’m a runner, I take care of myself, my weight is very good. Sometimes besides all your best efforts, these things happen.”

What happened was during Riviere-Seel’s annual physical exam in January, her doctor found a lump in her left breast. A biopsy determined it was breast cancer. A subsequent breast MRI found another lump in her right breast, which was benign.

“I decided to get rid of both breasts,” Riviere-Seel said. “I thought, this is ridiculous. I can’t live the rest of my life worrying if this cancer will come back.”

She had the double mastectomy on March 9.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I was fully relaxed. I knew whatever happened would be OK.”

Riviere-Seel credits the love and support of her husband, Ed Seel, and her faith, with getting her through the ordeal. She had breast reconstruction surgery earlier this summer and said today she is cancer-free.

Riviere-Seel, the author of “The Serial Killer’s Daughter” and “No Turning Back Now,” and is Associate Editor of Asheville Poetry Review, said she has already started to weave her experience with breast cancer into her poetry.

“It has renewed my faith. It gave me an increased appreciation for every single day I have,” she said. “It’s brought me back to my Christian roots in a way that I’ve gotten away from. I have a new appreciation of friends and poets and writers. I think cancer will change me in ways that I’m still discovering.”

(source:citizen-times.com)