For the first time since 1994, the FDAs Center for Devices and Radiologic Health released a draft guidance on Jan. 20 concerning the premarket approval and investigational device exemption of heart valves.

C. Peter Waegemann, MD, vice president for development for mHealth, spoke with CMIO about the necessity of new communication patterns in healthcare, a topic on which he presented during the International mHealth Networking Conference Feb. 3-4 in Washington, D.C. The conference was sponsored by the Boston-based healthcare organization mHealth Initiative.

Patients checking into New York-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital can create an account that enables them to view their health data and have access to it wherever and whenever they need it.

Market forces, healthcare reform and decreasing reimbursement for physician practices are forcing cardiology groups to evaluate long-term practice revenue. The clinical co-management model has become a popular method for cardiology group practices to begin exploring what a hospital affiliation might look like.

Increasing co-payments of outpatient visits for Medicare beneficiaries can lead to increased ambulatory care costs, according to research published in the Jan. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

In an attempt to put the kibosh on pharmaceutical manufacturers who attempt to influence doctors and other prescribers with gifts and payments, New York Governor David A. Paterson has put forth nearly 10 pages of legislation in the 2010-2011 N.Y. State Executive Budget to help hinder these pay outs.

Uncontrolled high blood glucose (hyperglycemia) in patients with diabetes is known to increase mortality. However, new research shows that intensive treatment to control blood glucose can lower it too far (hypoglycemia), which also increases mortality. Thus, blood glucose level targets should have lower as well as upper limits, to reduce risk to patients, according to a study published online Jan. 26 in the Lancet.

Edwards Lifesciences has launched the TRITON clinical study in Europe for its minimally invasive aortic valve surgery system, Project Odyssey.