News From Around the Web
> Florida health officials are planning on tightening security for prescription drug database after a breach in which patients' personal information was leaked, according to state health officials, as reported in The Miami Herald. According to the article, The Florida Department of Health said it was working with law enforcement officials and Attorney General Pam Bondi to "explore additional safety measures, including limiting the number of people from state agencies allowed to use the database, creating a system requiring all agency administrators be notified when a user requests database information and potentially disqualifying users who compromise patient information." Article
> According to new research conducted by the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the Internet is a valuable tool for learning about drug side effects that previously were unknown. Study
EMR News
> To improve the care provided to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender patients, questions about sexual orientation and gender identity soon will be "standardized demographic elements" in the University of California, Davis Health System's electronic health record systems. The health system--located in Sacramento--will be the first academic health system in the nation to incorporate such information as standard elements in its EHR. Article
Health Insurance News
> As UnitedHealth operates as "an outside-in organization," ensuring its product development and service delivery always "fit into the life of the consumer," it frequently looks to the retail industry for lessons learned and guidance, Tom Paul, chief consumer officer at UnitedHealth, told FierceHealthPayer in part two of a two-part interview based on his presentation at the AHIP Institute in Las Vegas last week. Article
> As a new campaign debuts this week to promote health insurance exchanges across the country, insurers might be getting some much-needed assistance to recruit consumers to the online marketplaces set to open this October. Enroll America, a non-profit group that promotes health reform, said Monday it's launching a promotional effort starting with community outreach building up toward a paid advertising campaign. Article
And Finally... Going hog wild after this tiny, unconventional pet. Article