Researchers have developed a tool that utilizes laboratory tests to identify which patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at a high risk of hospitalization.

Mobile health (mHealth) is better utilized by users who are more engaged in self-management. Findings were published May 21 in JMIR mHealth and uHealth.

Researchers have reduced surgical site infections (SSIs) in patients undergoing colorectal operations by 61 percent in less than two years, according to a study published ahead of print in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

The implementation of a Cerner electronic health record (EHR) system at the Department of Defense (DOD) has been suspended over problems with the platform’s usability and interoperability. Cerner president Zane Burke said those reports amounted to “fake news” potentially being spread by one of the health IT giant’s competitors.

Hospitals in America typically use Facebook to share educational information and communicate with patients, according to a study published May 16 in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Researchers from the University of Chicago Medicine have developed a comprehensive care physician model capable of improving quality while lowing hospitalization rates. Findings were published in the May 20 edition of New York Times Sunday Magazine.

TransUnion Healthcare has announced the acquisition of reimbursement technology company Healthcare Payment Solutions (HPS). Adding HPS solutions to its portfolio will boost TransUnion’s position in the post-discharge revenue recovery technology market, the company said.

Nearly a year after the deal was first announced, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and health IT giant Cerner have finalized a $10 billion contract for Cerner to replace the VA’s in-house electronic health record (EHR) system.