One in five Medicare patients return to the hospital within a month after discharge, so it isn’t surprising that the federal government is pushing forward an agenda to discourage costly readmissions. This upcoming October, hospitals with chronic readmission problems with patients struggling with heart failure, pneumonia and heart attack will face Medicare reimbursement penalties.

Health Wildcatters, a mentorship-driven seed accelerator based in Dallas, is offering 15 health IT startups up to $35,000 and 12 weeks of educational training to get their ideas and businesses off the ground. Companies also may receive up to $250,000 in follow-on funding, according to the Health Wildcatters website.

CHICAGO, April 23, 2013 -- Allscripts took another key step in delivering an Open, Connected Community of Health™ with the release of Allscripts Care Director™. The new solution coordinates outpatient care across healthcare settings. With the industry shift toward value-based care, Allscripts Care Director will help healthcare organizations more effectively manage patient care post hospital discharge and importantly, better address preventable readmissions, a key requirement now that hospitals could be subject to penalties for excess readmissions under Medicare.

An Elsevier news brief is stressing the need for a business case for evidence-based medicine (EBM) to improve the U.S. healthcare system. The brief culminated from a roundtable discussion of healthcare industry thought leaders at the CMIO Leadership Forum in Chicago last fall.

Albany, NY, April 28, 2013 -- GBI Research, leading business intelligence provider has released its latest report, Cloud Computing in Pharmaceutical Research and Development Virtualization of Data through the Cloud Optimizes Next-Generation DNA Sequencing and Clinical Trials Data Management, which provides insights into the key applications of cloud computing in the research, development and sales effectiveness within the pharmaceutical industry. The report provides an understanding of technological concepts in cloud computing, including cloud computing service models, deployment models and key stakeholders. Information on the major players in the cloud computing space is followed by an overall assessment of the technology in terms of benefits and restraints.

An InformationWeek survey of 1,297 U.S. health IT professionals found that while their salaries lag slightly behind other IT sectors, workers feel secure in their employment and demand for their skills is on the rise. The online survey was conducted from November 2012 to January 2013.

Clinical leaders identify electronic, evidence-based order sets as tremendously effective at improving clinical decision support (CDS). Well-implemented order sets streamline workflow, drive computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and improve core measures right at the point of care.

The Department of Health & Human Services has declared 2013 the year of implementation of Meaningful Use (MU) and no rulemaking regarding Stage 3 will occur before 2014. While the numbers regarding incentive payments and EHR adoption continue to increase, I would say that many healthcare providers are questioning the whole initiative.