Jerry Fahrni

Author: Jerry Fahrni

  • What we need is a system-neutral data structure for healthcare

    During a web browsing session the other day I came across a very interesting blog post by Louis Gray titled “The Future: Operating System And Application-Neutral Data”. I enjoy reading Louis’ posts because I think he has a great vision for the future of personal computing, data, and “the cloud”

    The blog speaks specifically to the ownership of personal data versus allowing companies to sit on it and possibly hold it hostage secondary to a lack of compatibility with other systems. The information you throw onto the internet defines who and what you are, more now than ever before, and you need to be able to move it around anytime from anywhere.
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  • Notion Ink’s slate tablet shouldn’t be ignored

    The Notion Ink Adam tablet was a popular item for bloggers during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this year. The device runs the Android operating system and offers some very interesting technology for the end user like a touchpad on the back of the device and a 10.1” 1024×600 Pixel Qi display.

    The Pixel Qi screen offers the quick refresh of an LCD screen with the low power consumption and direct sunlight readability of e-ink. I’m excited about the Pixel Qi technology and have been waiting for their screens to appear in consumer devices for quite some time. In fact, I’m holding off my purchase of a Kindle DX until I see a Pixel Qi screen for myself. I’m just not a fan of reading PDF files on a backlit LCD display, and reading them on a Nook or Kindle isn’t a great experience either.

    The addition of the touchpad on the back of the Adam tablet is interesting. It gives the user the ability to move around the screen while holding the device in its natural slate configuration. It may take some getting used to, but overall the rear touchpad is a novel concept that I think offers value. Other nice features include a camera, the ability to multi-task and an SD card slot.

    The Adam could rival the iPad if given a fair comparison. The one major downside to the Notion tablet will be the same disadvantage I’m finding with my DROID; a lack of software available for healthcare. Then again, if your software is delivered over the web and accessed via the device browser it won’t make any difference.

    Some great photos of the Notion Ink’s Adam tablet can be found at Flickr.

  • Talyst goes live with new customer portal

    Talyst has been beta-testing a new customer portal for several months now. The idea was introduced to Talyst customers at their user group meeting during the ASHP Summer Meeting in Chicago last June. Beta-testing took place between the summer meeting and December 2009 when Talyst unveiled the portal to a larger user group meeting in Las Vegas at the ASHP Midyear. Attendees were given a demonstration of the portal and offered an opportunity to provide feedback on possible issues or features they’d like to see. Well, it appears that the portal is out of the beta phase and ready for use.


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  • Quick hit: Don’t over-specialize within HIT

    During the implementation phase of an important project you never want to hear someone say “oh, <insert name here> is the only one that can do that and they’re gone until Monday.” Doh!

    Just a friendly piece of advice: no company larger than one employee should have individuals that are so specialized that no one else can do their job in a pinch. People, especially in the healthcare information technology (HIT) field, should be crossed trained appropriately so that things like this don’t happen. Not everyone will be as good as the person that “owns” the process, but it’s better than getting caught with your pants down around your ankles. Understand my meaning? I’m just sayin’.

  • Cool Technology for Pharmacy

    IV Automation / Robotics

    Today I attended a webinar from Baxa titled “Improving Sterile Compounding Quality Through Automation” given by Eric Kastango RPh, MBA, FASHP. The presentation was very interesting. I thought it was going to focus more on technology, but it was heavy on the human component of contamination in the clean room environment with only minor mention of automated IV devices. Anyway, during the presentation Kastago talked a bit about robotic automation for clean rooms and mentioned the CytoCare Robot.

    The CytoCare Robot is a chemotherapy compounding robot in an ISO class 5 environment. According to the website CytoCare is “the world’s first and only automated robotic system for the safe compounding of hazardous, life-critical cancer therapy medications.”


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  • Epocrates beta for webOS

    It looks like Epocrates beta is available for the Palm webOS platform. Check out the video below to get the gist for the look and feel of the app.

    I don’t use Epocrates myself. My mobile drug information resources of choice come from Lexi-Comp. However, Epocrates is a very popular and highly respected resource among healthcare professionals.

    Unfortunately Palm and the webOS don’t appear to have a good long-term prognosis in the smartphone arena. I’ve been reading various reports that Palm may be on its way out secondary to the iPhone, BlackBerry and newer android devices. That’s really too bad. I’ve been a big fan of the Palm operating system since its inception back in the 1990’s. In fact, I would be using a Palm Pre today if it would have been available through Verizon when I purchased my DROID.

    I’d love to talk with someone at Palm about building an 8-10” slate tablet device running webOS. The simplicity of the operating system and the ability to really have multiple applications open at once is very appealing. Consider that you can also run legacy Palm OS software on webOS-based devices via emulator software like Classic from Motionapps, and you really have something to like. I fear that this is only a dream, however, as I haven’t heard a peep about anything from Palm even remotely resembling a tablet device.

    So, Palm, if you ever feel the need to build a tablet device please give me a call. I have some ideas for you.

  • Lenovo has been busy

    Tablet PC
    CNet    : “Lenovo updated its x series tablet with a new x201 model that packs Intel’s newest low-power Core i5 and i7 processors. In addition to the performance improvement that comes with the faster Core i series chips, the x201 also boasts better battery life over previous models, according to Mika Majapuro, senior worldwide product marketing manager at Lenovo.” – Lenovo currently makes one of the premiere tablet PCs on the market; the ThinkPad X200. I’m thrilled that they are continuing their great tradition of convertible tablets despite the popularity of slate devices so far this year; the iPad, the windows based HP Slate and the Notion Ink Adam, an android based tablet device. According to the article Lenovo continues to make convertible tablets secondary to feedback from customers. Hey, I think the convertible tablet is the way to go.

    Dual Screen laptop
    The same CNet article mentions that “Lenovo also announced 17-inch ThinkPad models, including the W701 and W701ds (dual screen) ThinkPad. These also come with new Intel Core i series processors.” – My opinions regarding dual screen laptops can be found here. Overall I like the concept and think they’re pretty cool now that I’ve had some time to get used to the idea. I will definitely give one a try if and when I can.

  • Time for a new model of data storage and software distribution in pharmacy

    There was a time when I thought all a pharmacist needed to do his job was a pen and a calculator. It was just so cumbersome to carry anything else. If you wanted to have mobile drug information it meant carrying a drug reference book with you everywhere. Who can forget being in pharmacy school where every self respecting pharmacy student had a Drug Information Handbook stuffed in their lab coat pocket along with all the other stuff they carried like a homemade peripheral brain scribbled on the pages of a notebook or on those neat little 3×5 cards.
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  • Apple, AT&T and Verizon: Can’t you boys figure out a way to play together?

    Medical Smartphones: “We all know that the AT&T network is having difficulty keeping up with the data load caused by a multitude of iPhone users. What will happen when the iPad becomes available? Will the networks get more congested? Will AT&T have the necessary infrastructure to provide adequate 3G services for all these new iPads that will be floating around?” – Joseph goes on to ponder how long it will take Versizon to get the iPhone as his wife is eagerly waiting for it. I too have been waiting for the iPhone to drop into Verizon hands. Even though I’m satisfied with my Droid, I will convert to the iPhone once available through my carrier. Unless, of course, something better comes along in the meantime. The reason why I would switch is simple; the iPhone is so widely used among healthcare professionals that application development for the device is on the forefront of technology. If you can’t find it for the iPhone, then it probably doesn’t exist.

    So, what will happen when the iPad hits AT&T? I have no idea because I don’t plan to buy one with 3G. I will use the device like I use my iPod touch now; inside the walls of my house, the hospital and Starbucks.

  • “What’d I miss?” – Week of February 14th

    As usual there were a lot of things that happened during the week, and not all of it was pharmacy or technology related. Here’s a quick look at some of the stuff I found interesting.
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