Precision Medicine

Also called personalized medicine, this evolving field makes use of an individual’s genes, lifestyle, environment and other factors to identify unique disease risks and guide treatment decision-making.

ACR urges radiologists to fight Medicare cuts

The American College of Radiology (ACR) has issued a letter imploring radiologists to express their disapproval over reimbursement cuts planned for the 2012 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

E-Prescribing Federal Incentives Are Driving Adoption

As of the end of 2010, 25 percent of prescriptions were transmitted electronicallyup from almost none in 2004. Simply put, e-prescribing is well on its way to becoming a mainstream practice.

Radiology: MRI shows disrupted brain connectivity in post-concussive patients

Earlier this week, 75 former NFL players filed a lawsuit against the organization, alleging that it kept players in the dark and concealed the harmful effects of concussions since the 1920s. A study published online July 20 in Radiology shed new light on mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), showing that patients exhibit abnormal functional connectivity in the thalamus and suggesting the utility of fMRI in the detection of these abnormalities.

Interoperability may rest on reduced optionality

Transitions of care, notorious as points of communication failure, are the target of a federal interoperability effort, said Doug Fridsma, MD, PhD, director of the Office of Interoperability and Standards at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), during a webinar earlier this week.

Radiology: MRI reveals brain abnormalities in OCD patients

MRIs of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) show corpus callosum and white matter abnormalities in the brain, with heightened differences observed in individuals with more severe OCD symptoms, leading the authors of a study published in the July issue of Radiology to suggest the possibility of improved management of OCD patients using MRI.

Report: European CPOE market to reach $173.5M in five years

European health ministries are keen on improving the IT infrastructure in the health sector. The higher adoption rate of hospital information systems, EMRs and other health IT has boosted the computerized provider order entry (CPOE) systems market, according to analysis from Frost & Sullivan.

ADP AdvancedMD enhances its cloud-based EHR

ADP AdvancedMD has unveiled AdvancedMD EHR 2011 Summer Release, which includes features to streamline meaningful use compliance and simplify a patient's ability to interact securely online with healthcare providers.

Study: Patient-centered medical home can better diabetic outcomes

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) care model can increase the percentage of diabetes patients who achieve goals that reduce their sickness and mortality rates, according to study findings published in the June edition of the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.

Around the web

The final list also included diabetes drugs sold by Boehringer Ingelheim and Merck. The first round of drug price negotiations reduced the Medicare prices for 10 popular drugs by up to 79%. 

HHS has thought through the ways AI can and should become an integral part of healthcare, human services and public health. Last Friday—possibly just days ahead of seating a new secretary—the agency released a detailed plan for getting there from here.

Philips is recalling the software associated with its Mobile Cardiac Outpatient Telemetry devices after certain high-risk ECG events were never routed to trained cardiology technicians as intended. The issue, which lasted for two years, has been linked to more than 100 injuries.