News From Around the Web
> Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) has introduced a bill to extend the Meaningful Use incentive program to behavioral health providers. The bill is intended to improve mental healthcare. The senator had introduced a similar bill in 2010. Announcement
> Doctors using more complicated electronic health record systems are more stressed and unhappy, according to a study published this month in the Journal of American Medical Information Association. Those who used the most complicated systems felt significant burnout, job dissatisfaction and an intent to leave associated with perceived time pressure. Abstract
> Small physician practices are switching EHR vendors at an "unprecedented rate," as EHRs fail to meet rising expectations, according to a new report from Orem, Utah-based KLAS Research. The clinical content is no longer sufficient; poor service and vendor relationships were cited as primary reasons for EHR replacement. Announcement
Health Finance News
> Although there have been mergers and acquisitions involving hundreds of hospitals in the U.S. in recent years, they reflect only a small part of the overall acute care landscape. A recent survey by the American Hospital Association concluded that only 12 percent of U.S. hospitals were involved in a merger or acquisition between 2007 and this year. Article
Mobile Health News
> After a more than two-year wait, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week issued its final guidance on mobile medical applications, according to an announcement from the regulatory agency. Going forward, the FDA states that it will take a "tailored approach" to mobile medical apps that "supports innovation while protecting consumer safety." Article
> Global mHealth revenue is projected to reach $9 billion by the end of 2014 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 40 percent over the next six years, despite barriers relating to regulation, patient acceptance and privacy concerns, finds a new report from SNS Research. Article
And Finally... I think we could all do with this eraser! Article