Surgeon posts operations on YouTube

Surgeon Harry Belcher is posting videos of his operations on YouTube. The consultant has posted five short films on the Web site, showing details of hand operations, says The Argus.

Belcher, who works at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, said: "I film the surgery in my theatre. My patients are aware they are being filmed and no confidentiality is broken.

"Some people think it is weird but I do it for information reasons. My patients can look up their surgery on the Web and know what they are letting themselves in for," adds Belcher.

Microsoft has increased its range of software for the healthcare sector, with the acquisition of software for running hospitals from Global Care Solutions (GCS), says Computer Business Review.

The software, which will be rolled out internationally, was developed in collaboration with Bumrungrad hospital in Bangkok, which treats more than 1.2 million patients from 190 countries each year.

It gives Microsoft the ability to penetrate the international market for hospital software with a system that manages clinical workflow, billing, regulatory compliance, and medical records.

Nightingale Informatix, a healthcare application service provider (ASP) of electronic medical record (EMR) and practice management software, announced it has signed an ASP EMR contract with Healthcare South, states Genetic Engineering News.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nightingale will grant all Healthcare South`s healthcare providers with access to an ASP EMR solution, and will provide associated maintenance services.

The total value of the contract is about $475 000, with implementation and training being billed separately as required. The initial term of the agreement is two-and-a-half years, with an option to renew.