About Us | Press Releases | 2008 | March 14

MEDICAL AUTOMATION:  FIXING MEDICINE WITH THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT FIX OTHER BUSINESSES

"Medical automation can bring order and objectivity to this rapidly changing and chaotic arena," said Robin A Felder, Ph.D., at the BIO IT Coalition's February 27th luncheon meeting.  This special meeting of the Coalition was held in conjunction with the NVTC BioMedTech Committee and was hosted by George Mason University's School of Science at its Fairfax Campus.

"The same processes and technologies used to reduce costs and improve outcomes in other industries will improve the efficiency of medical care delivery, while improving the experience and outcome for the patient and provider" stated Dr. Felder.  He is a Professor of Pathology and Associate Director of Clinical Chemistry and the former Director of the Medical Automation Research Center (MARC) at the University of Virginia.  MARC provides a forum for the exchange of information on processes and technologies that improve both medical care delivery and patient experiences, and is now in the process of moving to a new location in Virginia.

Dr. Felder described some medical labs as somewhat crowded places where lean process design can effect over 50% improvement in efficiency.  Well automated future labs, such as the ones he is helping design for the Inova Health System, will require less people, more automated processes and will cost significantly less to operate.  "Automation can result in better work environments for our existing staff, and help alleviate the current labor shortages that exist in laboratories and in nursing," he said, "allowing for better customer service and quality care required by patients."

New trends, treatments and products are flowing because of partnerships between science, technology and business.  This includes new and exciting uses of robotics, nanotechnology, and items which help physicians communicate more easily and completely with patients and in accessing and keeping medical records.  Dr. Felder talked about minimally invasive diagnostic tools such as the colonoscopy pill camera, a glucose monitoring system and others he jokingly called "ingestible diagno-voyeurism".  Opportunities exist everywhere for huge reductions in healthcare costs by the utilization of passive, wellness based, diagnostic approaches and networked home health tools.

Robert Murphy of Pepper Hamilton LLP, the new chairman of the BIO IT Coalition, greeted the attendees.  He noted the important bio/IT work going on in this region.

Dean of George Mason University's School of Science, Vikas Chandhoke, Ph.D., welcomed members of the Coalition and NVTC's BioMedTech Committee to GMU.  He discussed the efforts of two former U.S. government researchers, Drs. Lance Liotta and Emanuel F. Petricion, Co-Directors of the GMU Center for Advanced Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, who, together with a group of Fairfax County doctors, and state and university officials, are working as a network to speed discoveries and get personalized treatment to patients more quickly.

The BIO IT Coalition is a non-profit organization which bridges the life sciences and information technology industries through interactive, content driven events that highlight innovation, investment, collaboration and partnership to build the bio IT industry.  For more information about the Coalition and its monthly programs and more, visit http://www.bioitcoalition.org.