With a shift toward value-based purchasing, quality measurements are becoming more popular and prevalent. However, some of the quality measures have been introduced without enough evidence to validate their effectiveness, according to an analysis. 

IBM announced a new cloud-based platform utilizing its Watson cognitive computing computer technology that will ensure secure information can be shared among physicians, researchers, insurers and healthcare-related companies. IBM will partner with Medtronic, Apple and Johnson & Johnson on the project.

CHICAGO—During the next 12 months, 87 percent of healthcare IT leaders said patient satisfaction would be a top priority, according to results of the 26th annual HIMSS leadership survey.

Many states have endorsed the use of telemedicine with legislation that clarifies terms and reimbursement policies. The Texas Medical Board recently took a contrary position by tightening rules on what constitutes a patient-physician relationship, according to the New York Times.

Health Diagnostics Laboratory will pay $47 million and Singulex Inc. $1.5 million to settle allegations that the cardiovascular disease testing laboratories violated the False Claims Act.

It is no secret that abusive behavior sometimes occurs in operating rooms and other hospital settings, and nurses as well as physicians can be the perpetrators. The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation created a toolkit and a videotaped workshop for nurses to help them spot and stop the bullying.    

Researchers looking for the long and short of the association between height and coronary artery disease (CAD) zeroed in on lipid profiles in a genetic study published online April 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A claims database analysis of patients with atrial fibrillation  who were prescribed an antiarrhythmic drug found that those who took amiodarone had the lowest risk of hospitalization. Meanwhile, patients who received dronedarone had the highest risk of being hospitalized.