A password-protected laptop computer containing information about 61,027 Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center patients from multiple states and several foreign countries has been stolen.

Indirect low-intensity ultrasound stimulation may enhance muscle cell proliferation, metabolic activity and differentiation of cells and tissues. As a result, the method may increase survival of implanted soft tissue, said a study published online May 27 in the Journal of Tissue Engineering.

The use of fetal and neonatal monitoring and diagnostics is growing in the European Union due to a combination of higher awareness among expectant mothers about the advantages of sophisticated monitoring, as well as the non-invasiveness and greater safety offered by new prenatal diagnostic techniques, according to an analysis from market research firm Frost & Sullivan.

Race-matched donor hearts do not lead to better outcomes after heart transplantation. Instead, the type of insurance plan and education levels could indicate worse outcomes among racial and ethnic groups, according to a study published online June 1 in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

The vast amount of healthcare information now being generated could be the greatest asset available in improving patient care. However, to do the most good, this information must be effectively exchangedand delivered securelyamong more stakeholders than ever before.

Point-to-point transmission was all that was available. There were competing standards for everything from device design to content delivery. Early adopters paid hefty up-front costs to get connected. Communication was by no means guaranteed. The market was fragmented.

What patient data are you allowed to access on your smartphone, and where? Please hold while a phalanx of federal agencies hammers out an answer.

A diagnostic picture is often worth more than a thousand words. But whetherand howto include images in the EMR as a requirement for meaningful use is an ongoing discussion. Thus far, images have been excluded from federal discussions of the criteria for meaningful use. At the grassroots level, however, the debate over images and meaningful use is lively to say the least. Many physicians claim images are a vital tool for accurate and timely diagnosis and should be at least considered in the scenarios for meaningful use. Others believe healthcare providers have too many other requirements on their plates right now.