Bringing quality healthcare to remote areas is not only feasible but sustainable. In Germany, a telestroke network launched in 2003 demonstrated progressive improvement over a decade, according to an article published online Aug. 21 in Stroke.

A pilot project using robot-assisted echocardiography and videoconferencing chopped months off the time it took for patients with suspected heart failure who lived in rural areas to receive consultations with cardiologists.

University of Houston (UH) professor Suncica "Sunny" Canic is a mathematician, not a medical doctor, but her research could save the lives of heart patients. Working with collaborators from Houston Methodist Hospital on a minimally invasive experimental procedure for heart valve replacement, Canic's work could lead to optimal design of an alternative to open-heart surgery for treating failing heart valves.

A proposed bipartisan bill would expand the use of telemedicine and provide reimbursement for remote management of Medicare patients with congestive heart failure and other chronic conditions.

What we don’t see about cybersecurity can hurt us in more ways than just our wallet. While retail cybersecurity may be the more visible cybercrime, more attention should be paid to the risks to healthcare data, according to a perspective piece published in the July 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

From phone and tablet apps that help providers review imaging data to functions that turn phones into cardiac monitors, mobile health – or mHealth – is one area where the tide of innovation is turning to develop better patient care. Can the FDA keep up with new mHealth apps to ensure they are safe and effective? 

The heart of an astronaut is a much-studied thing. Scientists have analyzed its blood flow, rhythms, atrophy and, through journal studies, even matters of the heart. But for the first time, researchers are looking at how oxidative stress and inflammation caused by the conditions of space flight affect those hearts for up to five years after astronauts fly on the International Space Station. Lessons learned may help improve cardiovascular health on Earth as well.

Armed robbery and drug trafficking are no longer the only crimes of choice for gangs. Instead of a gun, their newest weapon of choice is a mobile phone with Internet access. Now more sophisticated gang members are targeting medical practices and using their smart phones to steal patient records.