As baby boomers age and the incidence rates of chronic diseases grow, the impetus to implement remote monitoring services to save overhead costs and time will continue to grow.

Atherotech, which developed the VAP Cholesterol Test, now offers personalized lifestyle education and compliance strategies at no additional cost to patients who have undergone the test.

Increasing the use of quality measurement as part of EHR systems is critical to achieving meaningful use of health IT and would allow for a more complete reflection of care processes and patient outcomes, the American College of Physicians (ACP) reported at its annual meeting in Toronto.

In reaction to the healthcare reform bill passed by President Barack Obama, an initial response survey from healthcare staffing company AMN Healthcare suggests that the majority of healthcare executives are pessimistic about the reforms effects on their facilities and believe healthcare reform will create more patient demand for services, creating a need for more clinicians.

The assessment of U.S. 50-top hospitals, annually ranked by U.S. News & World Report, are based on subjective interpretations, rather than quality. These subjective reputations have very little association to objective quality measures among the top 50 hospitals, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The California Medical Association (CMA) has withdrawn from a Blue Shield of California initiative to rate doctor performances because, according to CMA, the ratings have serious and disturbing flaws in how data is collected on physicians that result in gross inaccuracies. Blue Shield of California intends to publish its ratings June 1.

NovaRad has introduced its newest RIS/PACS designed for single radiologists, the NovaPRO.

Secure patient portals offer physicians and practices the opportunity to conduct virtual patient visits, but these electronic consults are not always reimbursed. Many who have ventured into this frontier say they look for softer ROIs such as patient satisfaction and practice efficiency.