Today the ONC has issued the Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 2015-2020 that lays out the vision, goals, and actions that the federal government intends to apply the effective use of health IT immediately and in the coming years. This outlined plans aims to modernize the nation's health IT infrastructure to enable individuals, their providers, and communities achieve their health and wellness goals. The ONC states that this robust health IT infrastructure should support the dynamic use of
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AMA, 41 Other Medical Societies Push to Delay Meaningful Use Stage 3
On Thursday, the American Medical Association (AMA) and 41 medical societies have backed Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) in urging the administration to delay Meaningful Use Stage 3 in light of pivotal changes to Medicare. The coalition of physician organizations firmly believes that locking in Stage 3 rules for the Meaningful Use program would be a detrimental step that undermines the implementation of Medicare payment reforms.
In letters delivered to the Secretary of Health and Human
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Medfusion’s New App Enables Aggregation, Patient Access to Healthcare Data
Medfusion, a patient engagement platform has launched a consumer mobile application, Medfusion Plus to provide patients with a one-stop destination for all of their medical records. Available now via download on the App Store and Google Play, iOS and Android device users can now aggregate and access their healthcare records onto their mobile devices. The information is pulled via Continuity of Care (CCD) documents from the patient portals and includes laboratory results, immunizations,
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FBI issues IoT Security Warning for Medical Devices, Wearables
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to any object or device which connects to the Internet to automatically send and/or receive data may pose serious security risks for medical devices and wearables, according to an FBI public service announcement. For healthcare, medical devices, such as wireless heart monitors or insulin dispensers and wearables e.g. fitness devices could provide opportunities for cyber criminals to intrude upon private networks and gain access to other devices and information
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Senator Calls For Delay in Making Final Rules for MU Stage 3
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), on Wednesday called for a delay until January 1, 2017, of making final rules for Meaningful Use Stage 3. Alexander is urging that MU Stage 3 requirements should then be phased in at a rate that reflects how successfully the program is being implemented. Additionally, the modified rules proposed for MU Stage 2 should be adopted immediately because it will help most doctors and hospitals
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Philips Launches Type 1 Diabetes Prototype App Connecting Consumer and Clinical Data
Today Philips and Dutch Radboud university medical center launched a diabetes prototype app with integrated online community to empower patients and enhance continuity of care. The online community will connect people living with Type 1 diabetes and clinicians which allow them to share individuals’ personal health data and clinical health data from electronic medical records in a secure environment. This is also the first real-world implementation of the Philips HealthSuite Digital Platform -
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New York Digital Health Accelerator Unveils 2015 Class of 6 Startups
The New York Digital Health Accelerator (NYDHA) has announced their 2015 class of six early and growth stage digital health companies that are developing cutting-edge technology products for healthcare providers and patients in the areas of care coordination, patient engagement, and workflow improvement. The four-month program run by the Partnership Fund for New York City (Partnership Fund) and the New York eHealth Collaborative (NYeC) will provide the digital health startups direct access to
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Medisafe Integrates Drug Price Comparison into Med Adherence App
The rising price of prescription drugs combined with higher copays and coinsurance rates are shifting more and more of the cost burden of staying healthy to patients. That’s why Medisafe, a mHealth platform for medication management with 2 million users, has partnered with GoodRx, America’s leading prescription price comparison platform. This partnership enables consumers to easily compare prescription drug costs at over 60,000 pharmacies across the U.S. from within the Medisafe app.
Medisafe
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Kinsa Launches New Smart Ear Thermometer for Instant Temperature Readings
Kinsa, the company behind the world’s first FDA-cleared smartphone-connected thermometer, has announced the launch of its second connected health device, a wireless Smart Ear Thermometer on Indiegogo that provides instant and accurate temperature readings at the push of a button. Kinsa's Smart Ear Thermometer is the first to combine temperature readings with symptom tracking and actionable next steps based on key health indicators.
The device is now available for pre-order on
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Enrollment of Scanadu Scout’s First Clinical Trail Completed
Researchers with the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) have completed enrollment in the first clinical trial of the Scanadu Scout, a wireless health sensor that analyze, track, and trend your vital signs in few seconds. Enrollment in the clinical trail was recently closed after participation surpassed over 4,000 people. Participants were recruited from more than 5,000 backers of Scanadu's record-breaking Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that were the first consumers to receive the
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