CompuMed Inc. Teams With University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine To Provide Landmark Pediatric ECG Services

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 01 Feb 2009 - 0:00 PST

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CompuMed, Inc. (OTCBB: CMPD) announced a landmark program in pediatric screening services, CardioGramKids™, teaming with the highly respected Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to provide electrocardiogram (ECG) screening services to children and teenagers prior to prescribing or taking psychotropic medications, including stimulants. CompuMed will remotely interpret ECGs on pediatric patients in this first-of-its-kind program to detect heart abnormalities prior to therapy. CompuMed and the University of Miami have launched this program in response to the American Heart Association and other leading groups that have expressed concern regarding reports of sudden death in children and adolescents treated with stimulants and other psychotropic medications for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD. Medical journals have long reported concerns regarding the appropriateness of such therapy without screening at risk patients.

"We are delighted, yet sobered, to be launching this important project with such an experienced pediatric cardiology partner," said Maurizio Vecchione, CompuMed's CEO. "For far too long, children have potentially been put at risk of developing or exacerbating potentially serious or life threatening cardiac conditions without prior ECG screenings. Unfortunately, today's 12-lead ECG machines are complex, and more than 400 diagnoses can be made from a single ECG. Interpreting ECGs without specialized training, especially in pediatric cardiology, could lead to potentially life-threatening misdiagnoses. Additionally computerized interpretations are not necessarily optimized for pediatric studies and in general have significant error rates.

"This is the first of what we believe to be many partnerships with pediatric, psychiatric and primary care practices throughout the country aimed at saving children's lives. Physicians can screen their pediatric patients with the confidence that specialist pediatric cardiologists are providing the interpretations," Mr. Vecchione added. CompuMed also plans a parental education campaign in the near future.

One of CompuMed's core products is the CardioGram™, which provides remote ECG interpretation terminals and related services to medical facilities that may not have access to physicians trained and qualified to interpret ECG results. Customers for the Company's CardioGram system are primarily institutions such as correctional facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, occupational health clinics and physician offices that do not typically have access to cardiologists on their premises. The CompuMed system significantly increases the diagnostic accuracy of ECG interpretations by providing its customers with interpretations by trained, board certified cardiologists, which are then transmitted to the point of care through telemedicine technologies.

There are about 300,000 specialists (pediatrics, primary care and psychiatry) in the U.S. likely to see patients who might need psychotropic drugs, including stimulants. According to a 2008 report in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, approximately 6.7 percent of children in the U.S. are taking these medications for emotional and behavioral problems like ADHD. CompuMed's CardioGramKids will enable physicians to screen the children in their care while at the same time offering doctors important protection from potential litigation.

According to Eugene R. Hershorin, MD, FAAP, Chief, Division of Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, "The University of Miami is pleased to team with CompuMed to provide pediatric over-reads. It is becoming more and more important to screen for cardiac disorders in children before intensive athletic competition, initiation of stimulant medication and for many other reasons. ECGs can be an incredibly helpful part of that evaluation." Dr. Hershorin pointed out that the screening can be done right in the pediatrician's or psychiatrist's office with reliable results.

Ming-Lon Young, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACC, MAAC, Professor of Pediatrics, also at the University of Miami, added, "An ECG is needed for sports screening and starting stimulant medication. Also, ECG screening is needed for symptoms of chest pain, dizziness and syncope. ECG over-reading by a cardiologist is important to rule out potentially life threatening arrhythmias which might not be picked up by computer reading."

Mr. Vecchione said that CompuMed's business model is in lockstep with the Obama administration's call to increase telemedicine services to save countless healthcare dollars in the future. "I believe that CompuMed can make an important contribution to President Obama's information technology policies which will profoundly change the way medicine is practiced."

More information about CarioGramKids visit http://www.CompuMed.net.

About CompuMed

CompuMed, Inc. (OTCBB:CMPD) develops and markets products and services that combine telemedicine, medical informatics and advanced imaging. The CardioGram™ is one of the first telecommunication networks designed to remotely interpret electrocardiograms and is used by private practice, government and corporate healthcare providers nationwide. The OsteoGram® is a noninvasive diagnostic system that provides effective and accurate bone density measurement for screening for osteoporosis and assessing hip fracture risk. The OsteoGram has significant cost advantages over other technologies in the marketplace. The OsteoGram and CardioGram are cleared by the FDA and reimbursable by Medicare. CompuMed distributes its products worldwide both directly and through OEM partners.

Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts, such as statements about prospective earnings, savings, revenue, operations, revenue and earnings growth, results of contracts and other financial results, are forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All such forward-looking statements including statements concerning the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions are based largely on management's expectations and are subject to and qualified by risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, without limitation, competitive factors, outsourcing trends in the pharmaceutical industry, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, ability to raise capital, the availability of appropriate acquisition candidates and/or business partnerships, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, capacity and supply constraints or difficulties, government regulation and other risks identified in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Annual Report on Form 10-KSB and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-QSB. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based after the date hereof, except as required by law.

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