Hospitals with higher nurse staffing had 25 percent lower odds of being penalized for hospital readmissions within 30 days compared to otherwise similar hospitals with lower staffing, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

The Healthcare Leadership Forum presents Evidence at the Center of Care, the premier conference focused on implementing evidence-based medicine in every day practice.

Providing quality care to patients is the main source of job satisfaction for physicians. However, EHRs are putting a dent in that satisfaction, as many physician see them as a source of stress and an obstacle to quality care, according to a 150-page report published by RAND Corp. and sponsored by the American Medical Association.

Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute/University of Missouri-Kansas City researchers have been selected to receive two prestigious, highly competitive research awards from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The studies are part of a portfolio of projects designed to help patients make better-informed decisions about their care. The combined awards total $3,562,032.

The National Cancer Institute has awarded $2.2 million to a mobile health vendor to create next-generation passive sensing and self-reporting tools to enhance clinical interventions for at-risk patients.

The Health Information & Management Systems Society (HIMSS) officially opened its 30,000 sq.-ft. Innovation Center, which is now part of the Global Center for Health Innovation in downtown Cleveland. The center features two elements: a Health IT Simulation Center for testing interoperability and a year-round Healthcare Technology Showcase with rolling exhibitions on information exchange, patient engagement, mobile health and other topics.

The market for cloud technologies reached $194.4 million in 2012, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22.3 percent between 2012 and 2013, according to research published by Frost & Sullivan.

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services will award four states a three-year contract to support the implementation of text4baby, a free mobile health service for expecting and new moms.