02/22/2012
The Health Resources and Services Administration and the Labor Department have announced an agreement to train community and technical college students for rural health IT jobs. The agreement does not authorize funding for the initiative. Modern Healthcare.
02/22/2012
During the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's 2012 conference, health IT experts discussed military health IT, quality measures and other issues. Two organizations also launched a tool to help with ICD-10 preparation. Healthcare Finance News et al.
02/21/2012
A study shows that an implantable microchip that can be activated remotely via phone or computer successfully administers timed medication to patients. For patients with osteoporosis, the device increased compliance with a typical treatment regimen from 25% to 100%. Reuters et al.
02/16/2012
This week, the West Wireless Health Institute released a new wireless framework. The organization intends for the framework to act as the wireless installation standard for the U.S. health care industry. Modern Healthcare, West Wireless Health Institute release.
02/14/2012
Several recent studies show promising results from computer and smartphone applications that offer therapy for social anxiety and similar conditions. However, other research shows there is much work to be done to determine how effective the applications are. New York Times.
02/14/2012
UnitedHealth Group's Optum health-services unit soon will launch a cloud-computing platform that will allow health data exchange and offer health-related applications. Initially, the apps will be aimed at health providers and insurers but eventually could be expanded to focus on consumers. Wall Street Journal.
02/09/2012
Joel White -- executive director of the Health IT Now Coalition -- warns that if FDA proceeds with its plan to regulate certain mobile medical applications as medical devices, innovation and growth in the market "could come to a screeching halt." Washington Times.
02/08/2012
A study finds that sending text messages about childbirth preparation to pregnant women can improve prenatal and postnatal care. Researchers say texting could be a low-cost way to engage pregnant women in their care. FierceMobileHealthcare, Partners HealthCare release.
02/07/2012
A new report by BizTechReports finds that many hospital and clinic CIOs consider tablet computers to be difficult to integrate with existing health IT systems. The report offers recommendations to make tablets more useful in clinical environments. InformationWeek, NextGov.
02/06/2012
A new website allows patients to ask health-related questions and advance physicians' online reputations by recognizing their medical advice. HealthTap.com awards social media badges to physicians who accumulate "Thanks" for answering patients' questions. New York Times.
02/06/2012
A Juniper Research report predicts that about three million people will use smartphones to monitor their health by 2016. The report also forecasts that mobile health application downloads will increase from 44 million this year to 142 million in 2016. FierceMobileHealthcare et al.
02/03/2012
Sen. Tom Udall plans on introducing a bill that would make it easier for physicians to practice telemedicine in different states. Currently, physicians must apply for a different license in each state where patients are treated remotely. The bill would streamline licensure portability between states by creating a standardized list of credentialed practitioners. Government Health IT.
02/01/2012
Ninety-eight percent of physicians have adopted mobile devices such as iPads, but most doctors think the technology only serves communication purposes and has yet to change health care delivery methods, according to a survey from Spyglass Consulting Group. Healthcare IT News.
01/31/2012
Three Beacon communities are launching text messaging campaigns aimed at helping people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Participants will receive customized texts to help them manage and improve their health. Healthcare Informatics, Government Health IT.
01/27/2012
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is seeking applications that would help individuals with disabilities access their electronic health record data, help patients schedule follow-up appointments and improve the health of commuters. Health Data Management et al.