News From Around the Web
> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is launching a mobile app aimed at giving consumers faster and easier access to data regarding drug shortages. The FDA software provides insight on discontinuation of drugs as well, according to a FDA press release. Users can search by the drug name or active ingredient and also report a supply issue or drug shortage to the federal agency. The app is available for both iOS and Android smartphones and devices. Announcement
> The Internet of Things (IoT) within healthcare will drive improvement to the customer experience, according to a report at SearchHealth IT. In this case, the customer is the patient receiving treatment and IoT, by its nature of tracking and monitoring, will provide insight on everything that takes place, from intake process time to providing customizable healthcare data on smart TVs for patients. Article
> A new concierge healthcare service, Go2Nurse, strives to boost nurse-patient interaction in both emergency and non-emergency scenarios, according to a MedCity News report. The service also offers patients access to personal health records, as well as services for wound care, pre-natal and post-natal care, pain management, physical therapy, and medication and disease education. Article
Health IT News
> Figuring out how to piece together data from a hodgepodge of clinical studies will be one of the first items on the agenda for President Barack Obama's Precision Medicine initiative, Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told Reuters. Article
> GE Ventures and Stanford Health Care are partnering on a new company focused to boost health outcomes using digital medicine. The new entity, called Evidation Health, aims to provide customized clinical interventions between providers and patients. Article
Health Insurance News
> Wearable technology will change how the health insurance industry operates, according to a report at Insurance Networking News. Digital devices and apps, that track basic vital signs, will soon provide payers with a level of insight into the lives of clients that had not been possible. Article
And Finally… New social network emoticon not getting a warm welcome. Article