Facebook is exploring the development of health-related social networks, including communities for members who share an illness and forums for maintaining healthy lifestyles, according to Reuters.

The medical technology company Becton, Dickinson & Co. (BD) will pay $12.2 billion to acquire CareFusion, a move that is expected to broaden the range of products offered to hospitals and software used for medication management.

A cardiac rehabilitation program delivered to patients in small urban or rural communities beat standard care for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The initiative required less than eight hours of staff time per patient, potentially making it a cost-effective way to treat remote patients.

Integrating American Heart Association (AHA) telemetry guidelines into its electronic ordering system saved a healthcare system $4.8 million annually without compromising patient care, according to a study published online Sept. 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Taking heart health data into a brave new world, Duke University is one of a select few piloting Apple’s HealthKit app. Researchers from Duke will be working with heart failure and cancer patients to pilot a program for uploading patient data to the electronic record using HealthKit. 

In a nod to National Health IT Week, the American College of Cardiology asked some of its members to share their thoughts on interoperability. Four cardiologists describe the challenges, benefits and ways vendors could facilitate usage in the ACC in Touch Blog.

Merge Healthcare Incorporated, a leading provider of innovative enterprise imaging, interoperability and clinical systems that seek to advance healthcare, today announced Willis-Knighton Health System, a large non-profit community healthcare organization with four hospitals in the Shreveport and Bossier City, La. area comprising of a 600+ physician network, has selected Merge's enterprise-wide cardiology and interoperability solutions to simplify workflow and advance clinical reporting and analytics. The solution also supports improved documentation for core measures and Meaningful Use (MU) requirements and enables easier access to images, improved patient experience and enhanced business continuity across all Willis-Knighton locations.

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the U.S. launch of the SEEQ Mobile Cardiac Telemetry (MCT) System, an external, wire-free, adhesive heart monitor that can be worn for up to 30 days to help detect and diagnose the cause of irregular heartbeats in patients.  Medtronic completed the acquisition of U.S.-based Corventis, Inc., which developed the technology, in June 2014.