Health Technology Update : Issue 5, January 2007
Scanning the Horizon
A wintry Niagara Falls, Ontario
Photo composition by Paul Ting (CADTH) and Ontario Tourism.
Informing Decision Makers About Emerging Medical Technologies
As we launch into 2007, our fifth issue of Health Technology Update brings you information on several new health technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The Update also introduces an innovative system that follows up with patients after they go home from hospital.
Medical Device Regulation In Canada: A Primer
Medical devices are monitored through annual licence renewals.
Image courtesy of Health Canada.
Medical devices are used in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of a medical condition. They include a vast range of equipment, from a simple thermometer or tongue depressor to highly sophisticated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines or robotically assisted surgical equipment.
CyberKnife®: Stereotactic Radiosurgery
The CyberKnife® Robotic Radiosurgery.
Photo courtesy of Accuray Inc.
The CyberKnife is a radiosurgery system that destroys tumours or other lesions using beams of radiation, rather than a surgical knife. The radiation is precisely focused, minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissue.
Ultrasound has Potential in Stroke Treatment
The EKOS Micro-Infusion Catheter is guided to the site of the clot.
Photo courtesy of EKOS Corporation.
The use of ultrasound to augment drug treatment may improve outcomes in acute stroke.
Testing Newborns for Exposure to Alcohol During Pregnancy
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Reprinted from CMAJ 25-Nov-03;169(11): p. 1184 with permission.
© 2003 Canadian Medical Association.
The presence of a biomarker in a newborn baby’s meconium ― the first bowel movement ― may determine whether a mother drank alcohol during her pregnancy.
Interactive Voice Response System Helps Bridge Continuity of Care Between Hospital and Home
The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) process.
Photo composition by Matt Kulka (CADTH) and TelASK Technologies Inc.
A telephone follow-up program allows doctors to closely monitor patient recovery after hospital discharge. The automated calls use an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to ask personalized questions, and speech recognition technology to monitor responses.
New and Emerging Health Technology Reports
Previous issues of Health Technology Update
CADTH
Recent Reports from CADTH and Other HTA Agencies.