Peter Killcommons, MD - Weebly - Blog

Telemedicine Benefits and Expanding Medicine throughout the World

2/16/2022

A San Francisco, California resident, Peter Killcommons graduated from the New York Medical College and holds a doctor of medicine. Peter “Pete” Killcommons serves as CEO of Medweb. He is interested in expanding telemedicine to treat more people throughout the world.

Telemedicine dates back to the 20th century though it only evolved and became more popular in the 21st century. Telemedicine enables doctors and healthcare facilities to communicate and oversee patients far away from the location. Through telemedicine, more people can get treated as they no longer have to come to a hospital to get a consultation, and they can stay in the comfort of their homes. This can facilitate the relationship between the patient and a doctor as people can feel safer at home. By staying home, people can also avoid developing some conditions and diseases that they may get from other patients in a hospital.

It is also cost-effective as no more resources are put into transport. Patients can communicate with doctors more often in this way as they can just schedule a meeting when they have the time instead of taking time off from work.

Securing Healthcare Data

1/31/2022

The security of data belonging to the healthcare industry is not easy. First off, medical care providers are mandated to safeguard patients' data effectively. At the same time, up-to-standard quality care should not be compromised.

Patient care should be in line with regulations from Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a United States legislation that concerns itself mainly with data privacy. In addition, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which the EU formulated, also helps checkmate issues related to data privacy.

In today's healthcare sector, challenges relating to healthcare data such as hacktivism and the surge in the number of hackers, the addition of mobile and cloud technology to the healthcare sphere, and even user error in technology adoption affect and sometimes compromise patient data. Hospitals and healthcare facilities can adopt specific measures to counter such issues to keep up with this unfavorable development. One of such effective strategies includes encrypting data in rest and transit.

Encryption is a reliable data security measure that health care bodies can use to safeguard specific information. Encrypting data in rest involves protecting stored data from extra filtration and compromise. On the other hand, encrypting data in transit involves specific processes relating to data protection before transmission. When healthcare organizations use these two processes, it becomes almost impossible for hackers to decrypt patient data despite having access to them.

Another strategy is implementing data usage controls. Protective data measures involve more than reaping the benefits of access control and monitoring to detect and stop potentially harmful or malicious data activity in real-time. Medical institutions can use data protection measures to prevent sensitive data from being uploaded to the internet, emailed, copied to external storage, or printed. Data detection and classification is important component of this process because sensitive data can be identified and marked for appropriate protection.

Another strategy healthcare bodies can use to protect client data is a recovery and backup plan. General healthcare data can be compromised through destruction, malware attacks, and hacking. Ransomware attacks that can jeopardize health care data are also another threat to data safety. These happenings can cause setbacks in medical advancement in creating new effective medicines and finding a cure to certain ailments.

Healthcare companies can successfully limit the potential harm of security disasters by planning for the worst. Data backup and recovery are important in the medical industry. For example, the impact of the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack on the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), which nearly paralyzed the healthcare system and caused the termination of 19,000 medical appointments, could have been resolved if the NHS had been up to date with recovery plans.

In the United States, HIPAA regulation requires healthcare companies to have data protection plans, disaster recovery plans, and operation plans for emergency modes. Health care providers should have data protection strategies to safeguard the information they need to care for their patients. Organizations cannot store all their data in one place. So, they can rely on secure backup and cloud networks to prevent data compromise and availability.

Lastly, a data protection strategy is ensuring mobile device security. Healthcare workers can protect the mobile devices they use by inputting strong passwords, educating users on the best mobile security measures, and enabling the process that involves wiping personal data remotely.

What Is FAST?

1/19/2022

As the CEO of Medweb in San Francisco, Dr. Peter “Pete” Killcommons runs the company’s telemedicine, radiology, and disaster response divisions. Dr. Peter Killcommons has guided the expansion of telemedicine in Cabo Verde, Africa, and home care for seniors in Japan. He also supports many charitable organizations, including the American Red Cross. The Red Cross recently created a program to attend to severe trauma injuries called FAST.

Experts at The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) worked with the American Red Cross to design the First Aid for Severe Trauma, or FAST, course, which will educate high school students on how to treat victims' injuries, including traumatic bleeding events.

FAST is a program primarily aimed at high school students to teach them how to distinguish between life-threatening and non-life-threatening bleeding, and stop bleeding from severe wounds using tourniquets and direct pressure. FAST will also teach high school students efficient emergency communications skills and personal safety for rescuers and severe trauma victims.

Hundreds of high school students participated in a series of research sessions undertaken by NCDMPH. These researchers looked at a variety of educational modalities to find the most effective method of teaching this life-saving knowledge, such as online, instructor-led training, just-in-time instructions, or a combination. The National Center and the Red Cross made the FAST course free to high schools in early 2021, with the objective of widespread adoption.

Technology’s Role in Disaster Relief

12/13/2021

Dr. Peter (Pete) Killcommons, CEO of Medweb, implements telemedicine services at hospitals and medical centers, particularly in underserved areas. As the technology Medweb used transitioned from non-Internet-connected cell phones to smartphones, Dr. Peter Killcommons partnered with many companies to help install more effective, inexpensive, and resilient equipment, like mobile cell phone towers, to isolated areas and sites of natural disasters. Both companies and nonprofits use current technologies to provide improved disaster relief.

One trend in emergency response technology is taking advantage of the widespread use of smartphones. Governments (both federal and state) and nonprofits use smartphone apps to convey and collect information about natural disasters. Affected individuals can receive information about shelter locations and changing weather conditions. The same individuals can also inform emergency response personnel of their conditions formally through the aforementioned apps, or informally through social media.

Technology helps first responders by giving them detailed information about affected areas quickly, so they can concentrate their resources where they're needed most. One example is the increased accuracy of mapping software. This software aids humanitarian efforts by showing the locations of camps for survivors, so emergency personnel can reach them quickly. Drones can also deliver supplies before people arrive, and to places not yet safe for large-scale efforts.

EAA - Cultivating the Next Generation of Aviators

12/2/2021

The inventor of a web-based radiology viewer, Dr. Peter “Pete” Killcommons is the founder and CEO of medical technology firm Medweb, headquartered in San Francisco. Dr. Peter Killcommons is a volunteer pilot for disaster response and affiliated with the National Institute of Urban Search and Rescue, Alameda Flying Club, American Owners and Pilots Association, and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).

EAA encompasses members engaged in a broad range of aviation pursuits, including recreational piloting, the restoration of vintage airplanes, and home aircraft building. One of the organization’s latest programs for youth aviation is AeroEducate. The program is web-based and for youth 5 to 18.

The program includes an array of turnkey and simplified aviation-related activities for EAA chapters and teachers and can be used in locations such as EAA chapter hangers and classrooms. Elements of AeroEducate include a badging program, career pathways, classroom activities, and a youth aviation activities database. The teaching activities under development for AeroEducate are free of charge and readily modifiable to current curricula. Development of the initiative is planned to progress through mid-2021.

Digitized Healthcare Gains Traction

11/30/2020

Peter Killcommons is the CEO of Medweb and earned his medical degree from New York Medical College. Throughout his career, Peter "Pete" Killcommons has been a major advocate for telemedicine and digitized healthcare, including for mental health, and has visited Japan to study the world leaders in the industry.

Digitized healthcare involves using digital technology, such as computers and smart devices, to provide patients with medical advice, assessments, and treatment.

Thanks to subsets of telemedicine such as mHealth, which refers to using mobile devices to access practitioners, more people are getting mental health treatment. This approach allows people to access services without having to see someone in person. More importantly, it enables people to get healthcare when they need it, in an on-demand fashion. Not having to make an appointment or transport themselves to the doctor can be a lifesaver for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Digitized healthcare is also a major improvement when it comes to keeping medical records, and syncing information across various health networks. With the ability to upload test results, reports, and more to a digital platform, different medical professionals can access a patient’s entire record. This is going to reduced human error and make sure that a patient's records are more readily available whenever they are needed.

IVeH Aids in Creation of the Kosovo College of Surgeons

11/10/2020

An expert in the field of telemedicine and teleradiology, Peter “Pete” Killcommons has served as the chief executive officer for San Francisco-based MedWeb since 1992. In addition to leading the company’s telemedicine, radiology, and disaster response divisions, Peter Killcommons is a member of the board of directors with the International Virtual Electronic Hospital.

Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the International Virtual e-Hospital (IVeH) Foundation was created with the mission of building a public health care system in developing countries. Currently, the foundation relies on a team of volunteers working to establish a regional telemedicine network and virtual education network in the Balkans. Through the “Initiate, Build, Operate, and Transfer (IBOT)” strategy, the IVeH created a successful telemedicine program in Kosovo, and recently created the Kosovo College of Surgeons.

Collaborating with local health authorities and surgical organizations, the IVeH created the College of Surgeons with the intention of unifying all practicing surgeons, including those in private practice, in public hospitals, and in academic hospitals, and raising the standard of surgical care across the country.

ATA 2020 Hosted Virtually and Recordings Now Available

11/3/2020

The chief executive officer of Medweb in San Francisco, Peter “Pete” Killcommons, MD, has undertaken numerous medical mission trips, including traveling to Cabo Verde, Africa, to further telemedicine use there. Dr. Peter Killcommons is a member of professional organizations such as the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).

Founded to advance telehealth, ATA wants every person to receive necessary healthcare and believes that telemedicine and virtual care play a critical role in that process. Each year, the association hosts its annual conference to bring together professionals from around the world to dialogue about its mission.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, ATA hosted its 2020 meeting, scheduled for June 22-26, through a virtual platform. Those interested in learning more about ATA 2020 can obtain access to the conference recordings for a year following the event through the association's website.

Titled “Moving at the Speed of Innovation: Accelerating Telehealth Adoption,” ATA 2020 covered topics such as how to improve the healthcare system in preparation for future health crises and innovation on virtual healthcare from an employer's perspective. To listen to these and other recordings, visit www.americantelemed.org.

Power from the Sun - Three Types of Solar Cells

10/26/2020

As the chief executive officer of Medweb since 1992, Peter (Pete) Killcommons invented a process of viewing radiology results through the Internet. Peter Killcommons has several outside interests, such as the uses of photovoltaic or solar cells.

The process of converting photons from sunlight into electricity was pioneered in 1954 by Bell Laboratories. Over the years the technology has matured, with photovoltaic solar power now meeting a growing portion of the nation’s electricity needs. The devices can be classified into three types, depending on the materials from which they are made:

- Silicon. Most solar power installations use this element. The efficiency of silicon-based cells is matched by their cost-effectiveness, and they are massively deployed on rooftops or freestanding energy racks.

- Thin-film. Also in frequent use are thin sheets of semiconductor material, such as gallium diselenide. In layers only millionths of meters thick, thin-film technology is highly portable - for instance, it can provide power from a soldier’s backpack. Manufacturing these panels requires less energy than other methods and is easily scalable.

- III-V. This designation refers to the elements these panels consist of, Group III (indium or gallium) and Group V (arsenic and antimony). Offsetting their steep manufacturing costs is greater efficiency - the percentage of solar energy that is turned into usable electricity. They are most suitable for unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites, which need maximum energy in relation to weight.

Scientists and engineers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are working on solar cells powered by organic and hybrid organic-inorganic materials. They are also striving to make the technology more durable and to integrate more easily with other energy sources.

Telemedicine Is a Viable Health Care Solution in Africa

10/19/2020

MEDWEB chief executive officer Dr. Peter “Pete” Killcommons has traveled throughout the world to promote the benefits of telemedicine and other medical technologies. Dr. Peter Killcommons has previously toured the West African island nation Cape Verde to support the country’s telemedicine infrastructure.

Cape Verde first introduced telemedicine services to its health care system in 2012. As a result, Cape Verdeans have enjoyed facilitated access to specialized treatment. Telemedicine services have also improved the ability of medical students and health care providers to engage in distance learning. The success of telemedicine in Cape Verde has a high potential for replication throughout the African continent.

By 2025, nearly 90 percent of Africans are expected to have access to smart devices and an Internet connection. Since this is all that is needed to receive telemedicine services, telemedicine can greatly expand health care access for millions of people in rural or remote areas. Telemedicine also improves the entire health care experience, as medical providers can more easily check in with patients who may otherwise face logistical obstacles to attending appointments.