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.

Dell to buy SecureWorks

Dell's buying spree continues as the company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire SecureWorks, an Atlanta-based provider of information security services.

Kalorama: Medical mobile apps to hit $84.1M

Although much smaller than other mobile app market segments, the medical app category is slowly gaining market share, and revenues are expected to more than double in 2010 over 2009, according to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information.

CMS updates Physician Compare tool

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated its Physician Directory tool with Physician Compare, a tool that expands doctor-specific information into the suite of informational tools for Medicare beneficiaries and other consumers.

Social Security approves EHR Doctors' CCD

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has approved EHR Doctors C32 continuity-of-care document (CCD). 

JACR: CDS can help control inappropriate medical imaging

Researchers from Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle have found that clinical decision support (CDS) systems can help reduce inappropriate medical imaging, including unnecessary CT and MRI scans, according to a study in this month's issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Smartphone transmission of ECGs improves heart attack treatment

The use of smartphones to transmit ECGs from the ambulance to the University Hospital in Newark, N.J., has demonstrated improved patient outcomes.

Study: fMRI visualizes allaying of cravings by anti-smoking meds

Treatment with the anti-smoking medications bupropion and varenicline was associated with diminished cravings, weakened withdrawal symptoms and reduced activation in regions of the brain associated with cravings and withdrawals from smoking, according to a pair of studies published online Jan. 3 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

ACOs: The IT Challenges Within

In an effort to redesign the Medicare payment model to promote higher quality of care at a lower price, federal healthcare agencies are advocating accountable care organizations (ACOs) to promote accountability and conserve costs. Sounds like a good idea, but what does that mean for your IT department?

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”