Telehealth
The results of a new study show heart failure patients who use an interactive telehealth system spend less time in the hospital and experience a higher quality of care.
"I think open source is the right thing to do the same way I believe science is better than alchemy," software pioneer Linus Torvald, who developed the "kernel" that's the basis of the Linux operating system, has said. "Like science, open source allows people to build on a solid base of previous knowledge…. It's just a superior way of working together."
Intuit Inc., the Mountain View, Calif.-based provider of financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, will acquire Medfusion, of Cary, N.C., which makes front-office and back-office software designed to improve patient-to-provider communications. The deal is valued at about $91 million.
Even in healthcare Facebook is still often thought of as just a marketing tool, but some are looking at how it can boost patient engagement.
Florida is famous for its sunshine, but it's infamous for its Medicaid fraud. With the fourth largest program in the country, covering more than 2.1 million people, the state loses as much as $3.2 billion in fraudulent claims each year.
"Investing in heath information technology is a top priority for health plans," says Robert Zirkelbach, press secretary of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) whose Institute 2010 conference takes place Wednesday, June 9 to Friday, June 11 in Las Vegas.
A significant portion of healthcare activities can be done on a remote basis. By electronically linking patient and provider, chronic disease management, prescription renewals, vital sign monitoring and various other services can be accomplished for a fraction of the cost of a personal office visit.
The American Telemedicine Association’s 15th Annual Meeting and Exposition kicked off May 16 with an expansive attitude, as ATA officials welcomed more than 3,000 registrants representing at least 35 countries to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.
A new bill would require the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to create an Internet-based portal for veterans to access their records and benefits.
Three U.S. hospitals are now depending on a new trend in health IT to help them overcome a clinician shortage in rural areas: electronic intensive care units.