News From Around the Web
> Apple's HealthKit platform soon will offer menstruation tracking capability, a function not included when the system debuted last fall, according to a Forbes report. Additional new monitoring features to come with the Apple iOS9 will enable users to assess hydration, UV light exposure and sedentary activity level. Article
> New research from ACT | The App Association reveals that 40 percent of the top health apps integrate with the Apple Watch and Apple's App store is now a $87 billion industry since it opened in 2008. As app product cycles take just months, there is a steady stream of new apps challenging tenured apps, notes the report. Report (.pdf)
> Two physicians are hoping to help save the lives of ill children with a new mobile app that allows non-medically trained community health workers diagnose and treat sick children in remote and rural areas where healthcare resources are scarce or not available, reveals a Burlington Free Press report. Article
Healthcare News
> While there is an impending shortage of physicians and nurses looming, a Washington Post opinion essay claims recruiting and retaining nursing staff will require unique solutions given unique challenges. The U.S. will be in need of 1.1 million new nurses by 2022, according to a recent American Nurses Association report. Article
> Identity theft for the medical professional can be much more complex and potentially career damaging, as a recent example regarding a plastic surgeon's experience reveals. In a Boston Globe report, the ID theft scenario illustrates how the situation is causing havoc on a professional level, as well as personal level. Article
Health IT News
> Google and Amazon are battling to be the leader in storing human DNA data in their cloud environments and competing for business in the genomics industry. The key to who wins the battle likely is tied to which player can offer up the greatest security. Article
Payer News
> On the heels of Caitlyn Jenner's big debut into the public arena comes news that providers increasingly are willing to pay for gender reassignment surgery. Article
And Finally... Digital scan is the new scalpel in dissecting rare species. Article