03/04/2010
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has announced that five research teams will receive $2.4 million in grants to study how patient-recorded observations of daily life can be leveraged to treat chronic conditions. The projects involve mobile phone applications, remote patient monitoring tools and personal health record systems. San Francisco Business Times et al.
03/02/2010
During the 2010 HIMSS conference, the Certification Commission for Healthcare IT announced new certification programs for electronic health record systems that cater to women's health and cancer specialists. InformationWeek, Health Data Management.
02/24/2010
The Mayo Clinic is working with GE Healthcare and Intel on a two-year project designed to measure whether use of a home monitoring system cuts costs and eliminates unnecessary emergency department visits for patients with chronic diseases. Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal et al.
02/12/2010
A new report suggests that many pharmaceutical companies are looking to forge partnerships with technology firms to develop new health IT tools. Some technologies in development include mobile phone applications, Smartphone tools and "smart pills." Reuters.
02/02/2010
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has launched a new program that provides primary care physicians with electronic health records in an effort to help combat preventable health conditions. Pfizer provided most of the funding for the EHRs. United Press International.
11/17/2009
Home health care providers and others are launching new pilot programs to explore whether remote monitoring devices can help patients track their conditions. Proponents say the tools can lower medical costs and improve chronic disease care. Kaiser Health News/Washington Post.
11/06/2009
Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York found that text message reminders helped young liver transplant patients better adhere to their medication regimen. The lead author of the study said the text message reminders could be useful for patients with almost any chronic disease. New York Times.
10/22/2009
Yesterday, General Electric announced that it has set aside $250 million to partner with companies that develop technologies related to health IT, life sciences and diagnostics. GE's latest investment is part of its larger $6 billion Healthymagination campaign, which aims to transform health care through electronic health records and other innovations. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
10/08/2009
Doctors affiliated with the University of Buffalo are teaming up with a local IT company on a project that is intended to help identify patients at increased risk of kidney disease. The project could save Medicare more than $150 million annually. Buffalo News, Buffalo Business First.
10/01/2009
Today, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released a report describing how electronic health records can help rural community health centers better coordinate care for patients with diabetes. The report offers a case study of a community health center in Washington state that used EHRs to track whether patients with diabetes receive recommended exams. Government Health IT, HHS release.
09/23/2009
Garth Graham, HHS deputy assistant secretary of minority health, said the government and other stakeholders could use electronic health records, telemedicine tools and Web sites to reduce health care disparities among low-income and minority populations. Healthcare IT News.
09/21/2009
A new Illinois law requires physicians to register all children diagnosed with monogenic diabetes before age one in a new database aimed at bolstering research on the disease. Researchers say an online discussion forum also is helping to promote research on diabetes. Chicago Tribune.
09/10/2009
Mobile technology can help chronic disease patients actively manage their care, according to a new report from the California HealthCare Foundation. The report also offers several recommendations for successful participatory health programs. Mobihealthnews, CHCF release.
08/05/2009
A Health Affairs article published online suggests that the market for digital health games could grow considerably over the next several years. The author notes that electronic games can boost fitness and facilitate telemedicine. Healthcare IT News, Health Affairs release.
07/21/2009
A new study finds that asthma patients who used Web-based resources and consultations demonstrated greater improvements in symptom control over one year and were more likely to report symptom-free days in recent weeks than patients who received only standard care. Reuters.