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05/21/2013

Request for Data on Boston Marathon Victims Sparks Privacy Concerns

The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association argues that the Boston Public Health Commission violated the HIPAA Privacy Rule when it requested that hospitals provide medical data without patient consent on victims of last month's marathon bombings. Health Info Security.

05/21/2013

Startups Develop IT Tools To Boost Patients' Medication Adherence

Startups are working to develop technology that could help patients better adhere to medication regimens. Such tools include sensors that transmit pill digestion data and a pill bottle that glows colors when a medication dose should be taken or is missed. Wall Street Journal.

05/20/2013

Lawyers Debate HIPAA's Effect on Gun Control Database Reporting

Legal experts are debating the extent to which HIPAA regulations are preventing states from reporting certain medical data to the federal gun-purchase background check database. The Obama administration is looking into easing some of the legal barriers under HIPAA. Reuters.

05/16/2013

Scientists Use Digital Data To Synthesize Flu Strain, Create Vaccine

According to a study, researchers have used Internet-transmitted data to speed the process of synthesizing an influenza strain and developing a vaccine. The study also highlighted the usefulness of a digital library of flu gene components. U-T San Diego, Boston Globe.

05/15/2013

Report Says Text4Baby Program Bolstered Maternal, Infant Care

A yearlong survey of text4baby program users finds that the text messaging service promoted maternal and child health care. Users say the program increased their health knowledge and reminded them of appointments, among other benefits. FierceMobileHealthcare.

05/10/2013

White House Boosting Access to Federal Data, Health Research Tools

The Office of Management and Budget has issued a new policy requiring federal agencies to make data more accessible and searchable. The Obama administration also released an online resource to aid research on links between climate change and health. FierceHealthIT et al.

05/07/2013

Study: Social Media Can Help Researchers Track Medication Misuse

For a new study, researchers from Brigham Young University used Twitter to track Adderall misuse among college students. According to the researchers, social media could help public health officials identify populations with high rates of medication misuse. Deseret News et al.

05/03/2013

Government To Boost Access to Claims Data Under New Project

CMS and HHS are partnering with data analytics firm Archimedes to expand access to de-identified Medicare claims data. As part of the project, Archimedes is providing an online portal to help users query information. The project aims to accelerate the development of software that could leverage analytics to improve care and reduce costs. Clinical Innovation & Technology et al.

04/26/2013

Social Media Data Could Boost Population Health Research, Study Finds

According to a recent study, data from social networking websites could help researchers assess population health factors, such as obesity. The study found links between Facebook users' interests and rates of obesity in the surrounding area. FierceHealthIT et al.

04/25/2013

CMS Proposes New Use of Data To Aid in Public Health Emergencies

CMS has proposed adding a new routine use of individual health information to eight federal databases. The new routine use aims to make it easier for local public health agencies to identify medically vulnerable residents during an emergency. Health Data Management et al.

04/24/2013

PCORI To Fund Research Networks That Will Rely on Health Data Sharing

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute will spend $68 million to fund two research networks that will help scientists conduct clinical trials and comparative-effectiveness studies using data gathered through physician visits. Washington Post's "Wonkblog" et al.

04/19/2013

CDC Seeks $40M To Modernize Infectious Disease Tracking Tools

CDC's $6.6 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2014 includes a $40 million request to build an advanced molecular detection and informatics system that could track infectious disease outbreaks. The proposal is part of CDC's wider effort to modernize state and national public health tools. Government Health IT.

04/19/2013

IOM Paper Touts the Electronic Sharing of Routine Medical Data

A new discussion paper published by the Institute of Medicine states that the electronic sharing of data collected during regular physician visits could help improve care for the larger population. According to the paper, the electronic sharing of such data could help boost efforts to monitor disease outbreaks and prevent medical errors. FierceHealthIT, Purdue University release.

04/18/2013

Computer Model Could Predict Prognoses for Breast Cancer Patients

A computer model developed as part of an online crowdsourcing contest uses a three-gene signature to predict with 76% accuracy which of two breast cancer patients would live longer, according to a study. MedPage Today's "The Gupta Guide," MyHealthNewsDaily/Yahoo! News.

04/18/2013

Contest Seeks 'Big Data' Strategies To Improve Health Care Quality

A contest launched by the Bipartisan Policy Center, Heritage Provider Network and The Advisory Board Company seeks initiatives to help health care providers use "big data" to boost care. The contest will offer at least three quarterly prizes of $100,000. Health Data Management et al

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