MDNews - Greater Boston

BD VACUTAINER ULTRATOUCH PUSH BUTTON BLOOD COLLECTION SET R E S E A R C H H A S D E M O N S T R AT E D that minimizing injection-site discomfort increases patient satisfaction, which can have a bearing on provider reimbursement. Medical technology firm Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) recently won FDA clearance for the BD Vacutainer UltraTouch Push Button Blood Collection Set, which it says reduces patient pain and makes veins more accessible. A slimmer, flatter needle surface enhances ease of skin penetration, BD stated in a news release. Meanwhile, greater inner diameter allows the use of smaller-gauge needles but does not compromise blood flow or the quality of the sample, according to the company. "This could prove especially valuable in patient populations, such as oncology, geriatric and pediatric, that often have difficult or fragile veins," says Ana K. Stankovic, MD, Worldwide Vice President of Medical Affairs for BD Life Sciences. ■ TYTOHOME THE P O S SIBLE SPRE A D of illness in waiting rooms periodically prompts suggestions of measures physicians can take to protect patients awaiting care. Israeli company TytoCare has developed a home telemedicine system, TytoHome, that it hopes can reduce that mode of trans- mission by keeping patients out of physician offices or emergency rooms when they don't need to be there. The digital system allows users to perform basic exams — ear, eye, heart, throat, lung and skin — of sufficient quality to permit a remote physician to provide a diagnosis, according to the company. Aided by the system's audiovisual guidance, patients or family m e m b e r s p e r fo r m the exams using TytoHome's digital camera, otoscope and stethoscope, and then trans- mit results to the physician of their choosing on a connec- tion that is HIPAA-compliant. Another option is to use the system's video conference capabilities to conduct exams while the patient's physician watches remotely. ■ BY STEVE BARRETT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT IMAGE COURTESY OF BD 'BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY" 2 2 2 2 ❱❱❱❱❱ D A T A V A U LT

• Cover