Current medical news and unique business news for anyone who cares about healthcare.
Is dealing with a supercomputer better than dealing with a health insurer? Former Jeopardy whiz Watson has found a new gig, this time in healthcare. Health insurer WellPoint is enlisting Watson, the IBM supercomputer wired to make split-second, human-like decisions based on data, to help doctors choose the most effective treatment options for patients and to streamline communications between patients and insurers.
Inside an Automated Healthcare Practice: Redesigning Care Around People, Not Paperwork
By reducing administrative burden and redesigning workflows around human needs, it creates space for what matters most: connection between clinicians and patients.
Small small business. With all the talk about small business being a crucial driver in today’s economy, it’s surprising to hear that the small business market in the U.S. is the smallest of the small among wealthy countries. Data from Entrepreneurship at a Glance 2011 shows that the United States has the lowest share among wealthy countries of employees in enterprises with 50 or fewer employees and the highest share in enterprises with 250 or more employees.
Bill for easier access to records. A new rule proposed by federal health officials would give patients easier access to their medical information, like getting lab results directly from the laboratory, avoiding missed communication between doctors.
Biotech leaders fear the Twitter. XConomy’s Luke Timmerman suggests that Twitter is underused in the biotechnology industry and can be a great networking tool, particularly at conferences, for making introductions and starting discussions about innovation.
No quick fix for drug shortages. That’s what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said after it met Friday with stakeholders. HHS says it’s preparing a report that will analyze the problem, and “promising solutions are also being rigorously examined.”