News From Around the Web
> A new study examined the use of the Twitter hashtag #childhoodobesity to track conversations about the issue of childhood obesity. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, found that the conversations did not often include comments from government and public health organization representatives. Announcement
> The College of American Pathologists, the Association of Pathology Chairs and the Association for Pathology Informatics are launching a new program, Pathology Informatics Essentials for Residents, meant to prepare pathologists for the health industry's increasing use of electronic records and their impact on the way providers handle data, Healthcare IT News reported. "Training pathology residents in clinical informatics is 'a must' to build the skills required now and in the future," APC President-Elect Donald S. Karcher, chairman of the Department of Pathology at George Washington University, said in a statement. Article
Health Insurance News
> Different insurers define healthcare quality in different ways, so to accelerate the shift toward high-quality, high-value care, payers need to adopt common standards. A new issue brief from the Center for Health Care Strategies and the Milbank Memorial Fund examines quality alignment strategies in Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin and found several keys to success. Article
Provider News
> The number of baby boomers getting ready to retire and the number of independent delivery networks and networks in the U.S. will mean a demand for interim executives within the healthcare industry, particularly in the chief information officer and the chief medical informatics officer positions. Article
> The American healthcare system is "sick and getting sicker," and executives must take decisive action to fix it, according to management guru Clayton Christensen. Article
And Finally... Why nap at home when you can nap in Ikea? Article