Neolectum - CeBIT

CeBIT 2008 - Hannover, 4-9 March

Medicine launches into cyberspace

TeleHealth fully integrated into CeBIT for the first time • Spotlight on telemedicine and eHealth • Congress, networking opportunities and exhibition – all under one roof

One thing is sure: modern IT solutions cannot protect us from disease. But they can help us to bear the consequences of disease more easily. CeBIT 2008 shows how information technology is being embraced with open arms by the healthcare community, and is fast becoming the doctor’s indispensable helpmate.

At this year’s TeleHealth exhibition and conference, which for the first time is fully integrated into the annual trade show CeBIT, diabetics will be transformed into cyber-patients, our own beds into wireless sleep laboratories, and the doctor’s practice into a high-tech communications centre. Over two days, 7 and 8 March 2008, the TeleHealth show-within-a-show in Hall 8 will focus on telemedicine processes in healthcare and the latest eHealth solutions. As well as a varied and interesting congress program made up of scientific lectures, corporate presentations, workshops and symposia, the visitor will find a range of networking opportunities and an extensive exhibition – all under one roof.

Digital blood sugar diary

For diabetics, the tedious business of logging blood sugar levels by hand in a diary will soon be at an end. At the stand of telehealth company BodyTel (Stand B35) visitors can see “GlucoTel” in action – a new system that makes child’s play of diabetes management. The blood glucose meter connects wirelessly with the patient’s mobile phone, which automatically transmits the blood sugar readings to an online database. Just another electronic gizmo? Absolutely not: via the Internet patients can give their doctor direct access to their blood sugar readings, and seek his advice if they are concerned. And they can do it any time and any place – at home, on a business trip or on holiday.

Wireless sleep laboratory

Wireless technology is also the key to progress at the stand of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (Stand B13). Not for diabetics in this case, but for sufferers from so-called “sleep apnoea syndrome”. Hitherto these patients have had to travel to a specialized sleep laboratory to be diagnosed, where they get wired up with dozens of sensors and have to stay in bed for up to two days. The Fraunhofer Institute’s “Sleep-Bee” prototype for a multi-sensor sleep monitoring system for outpatients shows that there is another way, with wireless technology spelling the end of all those cumbersome cables. And because this makes the whole system so much simpler to operate, patients can carry out the tests at home, in the comfort of their own beds.

With electronic patient files doctors are always fully up to date

Measured values are not everything. In an age when chronic disease is becoming increasingly common, all the agencies involved in patient care need to work together closely. They are greatly helped in this by electronic patient files, which are a major focus of this year’s TeleHealth. An example is the “vita-X” solution from CompuGROUP (Stand B06), a chip card that allows the patient to give his doctors access to personal medical data. And in a scheme currently being piloted in two DocMorris pharmacies in Cologne, patients can also call up their own personal medical records on special computer terminals. A related innovation unveiled at this year’s TeleHealth is “simplify vita-X”, a solution that uploads web-based files and integrates them fully into the computer databases of doctors. In this way doctors can access the findings of their medical colleagues just as easily as their own – literally at the touch of a button.

Meanwhile eHealth specialist InterComponentWare is bringing its “LifeSensor” product to the show (Stand B15). This is a web-based electronic patient file which patients themselves can access on their own PC or – even more conveniently – on their iPhone. At TeleHealth visitors can watch a demonstration sequence, in which a patient progresses from his general practitioner to a consultant and finally to the hospital. All the relevant documents can be accessed by each doctor in the sequence through their own information systems, thereby eliminating unnecessary hold-ups in the treatment of patients.

The electronic health card goes on house calls

To ensure that data protection requirements are fully met, the German government is planning to introduce the electronic health card in the spring of 2008, which gives access to electronic patient files and telemedicine services of all kinds. In charge of project implementation is the operating company gematik – Gesellschaft für Telematikanwendungen der Gesundheitskarte (Stand B37). It is using TeleHealth for the first time as a platform to tell the public about the current status of the project. So visitors to this year’s TeleHealth will be able to see for themselves how in future electronic prescriptions will be exchanged between doctors and pharmacists, how health insurance organizations can update their clients’ data electronically, and how doctors can enjoy the convenience of “signing” documents via biometric fingerprinting. And unveiled to the public for the very first time is a new mobile scenario, in which gematik shows how the electronic health card can help doctors to deliver a better service on their house calls.

February 2008

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CeBIT 2008 - Hannover, 4-9 March

Further contents about CeBIT: CeBIT visitors can “activate” complimentary tickets by cellphone • New technologies for doctors at TeleHealth 2008 • Medicine launches into cyberspace • Web 2.0 and Social Networks move into the business community • The Future of Mobile Broadband Communications • Women to enjoy free admission to CeBIT on International Women’s Day • Large-format flat-screen TVs more popular than ever before •

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CeBIT 2008

Public administration as an eLearning target market

7 March has been designated “eLearning Day”, complete with a public sector conference in the Nord LB Forum building adjacent to Hall 17 • New “Learning & Knowledge Solutions” display in Hall 6 • eLearning award “eureleA” to be presented for the first time at CeBIT

In public administration, the demand for eLearning services is steadily growing. Frequently, however, the public sector is finding it find and source the right products and solutions to meet their specific requirements. As a result, many public administrators are taking the situation into their own hands and producing their own eLearning applications.

On the Friday of this year’s CeBIT (7 March) from 10.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., the focus will be on “eLearning in public administration” in the Nord LB Forum near Hall 17, where the “eLearning Day” will take place for the sixth time. (Please note that the eLearning Day will be held in German language, only.) Experts from key training institutes from all over Germany will be discussing the future challenges and opportunities presented by eLearning for everyday training needs in the public sector, while eLearning service providers will get the chance to meet potential customers and compare notes with public authorities and key organizations.

The “Lower Saxony Competence Center for eLearning” organizes the “eLearning Day” at nordmedia’s stand every year at CeBIT on behalf of the Ministry of Lower Saxony for the Interior and Sport. Its cooperation partner is the Verband eLearning Business Norddeutschland (North German Business Association for eLearning).

The “eLearning Day” is the ideal counterpart for the premiere of the new “Learning & Knowledge Solutions” display in Hall 6 at CeBIT, which for the first time will feature a stand-alone display category dedicated to eLearning and knowledge management. High-profile companies such as bit-media, ets, IMC, Know How!, M.I.T. newmedia and WEBACAD will be presenting the latest solutions for the information society.

At the “CeBIT Forum Learning & Knowledge Solutions”, experts will reveal how to help staff progress their careers and how to incorporate teaching and learning aids into further training products. The presentation of the European eLearning award “eureleA” on 7 March at 5.00 p.m. (Hall 6/Stand B38) will represent a special highlight. The award, instigated by the Institute for Computers in Education (ICE) at Karlsruhe Technical College, is given for innovative training and career development projects employing the Internet and intranet. The awards ceremony is being held in Hannover for the first time. •

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CeBIT 2008 – Hannover, 4-9 March

Large-format flat-screen TVs more popular than ever before

CeBIT showcases several new consumer electronics products • German sales expected to exceed 5.3 million units in 2008 • Consumer organization confirms that flat screens are more reliable than CRTs

German consumers prefer TV sets that are large and attractively designed – and deliver razor sharp image quality. According to a survey by the German Consumer Electronics Association (gfu), HD-ready and full-HD televisions already account for 95% of total sales revenues. There is a pronounced trend towards large screen formats and high-tech features. This is mirrored in price levels. According to the gufu, the average television set cost €764 in 2007. Sales of flat-screen TVs are expected to rise from 4.4 million in 2007 to 5.3 million in the current year. Michael Langbehn, Trade Marketing Manager at Panasonic, predicts strong growth rates in this market segment: “Given that household penetration is well under 50 percent, the conversion from cathode ray tubes is in full swing.” According to the industry association BITKOM 47 percent of German households will own a HD television by 2010.

A number of new flat-screen TVs will be on display at CeBIT 2008 (4 to 9 March). For example, Toshiba will be presenting two attractively designed “Picture Frame” models (40ZF355D and 52ZF355D), each with full-HD resolution and measuring 40 and 52 inches respectively. The frame surrounding the LCD panel is a mere two centimetres wide.

Compared with conventional cathode ray tubes, LCD and plasma screens are visually more appealing and less prone to defects. This is the conclusion reached by the US organization Consumer Reports. Only 3 percent of flat-screen displays develop faults within the first three years, as compared with 18 percent of cathode ray tubes. There is still room for improvement in terms of image quality. Top-of-the-range TVs are now labelled “24p”, confirming that they operate at 24 full frames per second. In combination with a Blu-ray or HD DVD player this ensures a genuine cinema-like viewing experience.

To enjoy TV broadcasts in HD quality the consumer needs to purchase a set-top decoder or an HDTV receiver – for example, a TechniSat HD S2 DigiCorder. This digital satellite receiver comes with a choice of hard drives (160 or 500 gigabytes). In addition, TechniSat will be presenting its HDTV 46 – a 46-inch full-HD television fitted with an HDTV multi-tuner and a built-in 500 GB hard drive.

CeBIT 2008 will also present the latest pocket-sized entertainment devices. There is a growing shift towards portable multimedia players (PMPs) which are compatible with a broad spectrum of video, image and audio file formats. In this context Transcend will be showcasing its elegant T.sonic player, which boasts a high-definition colour screen and eight gigabytes of memory. CeBIT will also present attractively styled Bluetooth loudspeakers which transform modern mobile phones into fully fledged wireless audio systems. Hama has come up with a particularly original solution: the company’s “Twiddle” is no bigger than a beverages can, yet boasts two chrome loudspeakers which can be rotated in various directions to ensure optimum sound quality.

The beginning of the wireless USB revolution

In January 2008 the Federal Network Agency approved the use of new frequencies in the range 30 megahertz to 10.6 gigahertz. This will pave the way for ultra-wide band (UWB) communication – in particular, for wireless USB, which achieves transfer rates of up to 480 megabits per second. It will soon be possible to hook up audio components, PCs, peripherals and complete IT systems without resorting to cables. 

D-Link and Belkin will be among the first companies to present wireless USB systems at CeBIT. D-Link’s DUB-9240 starter kit, for example, is ideal for transferring image and video files from a digital camera to a TV set. A further highlight will be the DSM-510 HD media player designed to transfer high-definition videos and Internet content to home cinema systems. For its part, Belkin will be unveiling Europe’s first CE-certified wireless USB hub, so the company claims.

Digital networking is progressing at a rapid rate. According to the BITKOM study “The future of digital entertainment”, digital products will account for 90 percent of consumer electronics sales in Germany by 2012. CeBIT 2008 will be a major milestone in the further development of this market.