An innovative scheme using mobile technology to identify patients 'at risk' of developing CVD by effectively establishing smoking status has recently proved a great success for NHS Hammersmith and Fulham.

Siemens Healthcare and the Asklepios Hospitals will continue to deepen their cooperation in the information technology (IT) sector. The hospital information system i.s.h.med, installed to date in eight major hospitals of the Asklepios hospital chain, will be expanded by adding elements that further enhance its performance, including a modern user interface with intuitive handling, service-oriented architecture, and a clinical process-management system.

iB Solutions, an IBA Health Group company (ASX:IBA), has won a contract worth over €600,000 with the Medical Council of Ireland in Dublin to develop a system for the country's 17,000 doctors to register membership online. The deal includes capital spend and support for five years.

Intel Corporation today announced the Intel® Health Guide, a care management tool designed for healthcare professionals who treat patients with chronic conditions, for the UK. The Intel Health Guide represents Intel's entry into a new category of personal health systems that go beyond the simple remote patient monitoring systems available today.

In today's dynamic healthcare environment, there is a growing complexity of networks and devices. Physicians and nurses are increasingly mobile, yet they need to make quick decisions based on clinical evidence located elsewhere. As a result, clinicians need easy access to information for decision support - regardless of where they are or the location of the data.

NeuroNexus Technologies and Philips Research have signed a joint research agreement to develop next-generation deep brain stimulation devices with the ambition to improve the treatment of neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders.

Networking and the conquering of sector boundaries are pivotal issues in future healthcare and welfare systems. More and more hospitals, rehabilitation clinics and social services combine forces both horizontally and vertically. At the same time, they are also opening up to other service providers.