> Electronic medical records will change the way the US healthcare system works by revolutionizing the flow of information, argues Philip Longman. That makes medical privacy the "new threshold issue in American healthcare." Article
> New CEO Ronald Williams takes over the helm at Aetna today. Article
> Hundreds of women on the West coast were not told that an institute funded by the insurance industry kept their placentas to use as possible evidence to protect doctors and hospitals in the event of future lawsuits. Article
> A mortality test devised by researchers in San Francisco rates your risk of dying within 4 years if you are over the age of 50. Critics question the methodology, noting risk factors like blood pressure and high cholesterol are ignored. Article
> A computer program developed at the University of San Francisco borrows tricks developed by the Grateful Dead's sound team to help those with permanent hearing loss. Article
> The Baltimore Sun examines the successful track record of the state's famous business incubators in med tech and the life sciences. Article
> At HIMSS, Cerner introduced a prescription drug vending machine designed to reduce medication errors. The Rx Station system is linked to the Cerner Millenium EMR. Article
> A major study published yesterday in the Annals of Internal Medicine recommends annual CT scans as an effective way of detecting early-stage lung cancer. Blog
> BD completed the purchase of San Diego startup GeneOhm. The company makes a quick test designed to detect hospital-acquired infections. Article
And Finally... The practice of treating prisoners from the Los Angeles County Jail at public hospitals like LA County--USC Medical Center should end, a grand jury said. Article