Cleveland Clinic Unveils 'Top 10' Medical Innovation...( Hospital Predicts Ten Emerging Techno...),Health

Hospital Predicts Ten Emerging Technologies That Will Shape Healthcare Next

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CLEVELAND, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine if a simple blood test could detect recurrent cancer earlier, while also predicting a patient's prognosis. Imagine if a device the size of two decks of cards could help a paraplegic breathe without a bulky ventilator. Or imagine if a machine could essentially keep harvested organs alive until they're transplanted in the recipient.

Now imagine that these innovations already exist, because they do, along with seven other emerging technologies that make up Cleveland Clinic's Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2009.

The list of breakthrough devices and therapies was selected by a panel of Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists and was unveiled during Cleveland Clinic's 2008 Medical Innovation Summit ( http://www.clevelandclinic.org/innovations/summit/default.htm ), which is currently underway. The innovations touch on avian influenza, electronic medical records, and various minimally invasive surgeries to treat uterine fibroids, to repair heart valves, and to remove organs through the body's natural orifices.

"Once again, we are seeing a diverse list of technologies that have the potential to make an enormous medical impact in the near future," said Michael Roizen, M.D., who chaired the Top 10 Medical Innovations List.

The Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2009

10. Private Sector National Health Information Exchange: A comprehensive system of electronic health records that link consumers, general practitioners, specialists, hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes, and insurance companies is in the process of being established. Primarily a private-sector effort, this computerized system has the potential to replace paper-based medical files with digitized records of patients' complete
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