Combining social media posts, EHR data provides insight into health outcomes; NYU Med School teaching data analytics;

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> Creating a database that merges patients' social media posts on Facebook and Twitter with electronic health record data can provide insights about the individuals' health and health outcomes, according to a recent study published in BMJ. The information can also provide insight about overall population health. Study abstract

Health IT News

> Students at New York University Medical School are now required in participate in a project involving data analytics and interpretation. The project, funded in part by the American Medical Association to update medical student education, enables students to use anonymous and scrubbed patient EHRs to learn how to apply the data in different ways, such as reviewing quality measures, costs of procedures and clinician performance. Article

Health Finance News

> Payment recoupments as a result of the work of recovery audit contractors dropped dramatically last year, likely the result of pushback from the hospital sector. Article    

Health Insurance News   

> With open enrollment underway on the federal and state marketplaces, a new report from the federal government emphasizes that while some premiums will rise in 2016, coverage remains affordable for many. The report, from the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, echoes recent statements from HHS that tout the money-saving potential of returning to the marketplace to shop for coverage. Article   

And Finally... You'd think with their magic powers they wouldn't need the court to fight each other! Article