Health IT Roundup—CDS usage varies among providers; Patent infringement case advances against Athenahealth

Clinical decision support usage varies

Nearly three-quarters of providers say they are using clinical decision support systems, but reasons for doing so run the gamut.

According to a poll by Reaction Data, which surveyed 180 provider executives primarily from acute care hospitals, nearly three-quarters of respondents use CDS systems. While 30% use it for medication orders, 24% use it for labs and 20% for medical imaging orders.

Nearly half said they plan to continue using multiple platforms, while 26% said they are transitioning to a single solution. (Survey)

Court allows patent infringement case to move forward against Athenahealth

A Texas district court judge denied Athenahealth’s motion to dismiss a patent infringement case filed by EHR vendor CliniComp.

The San Diego-based vendor, which sued Cerner for patent infringement last year, alleges that Athenahealth’s “athenaOne” cloud-based offering violates the company’s 1999 patent which outlined a remotely hosted health IT infrastructure.

Although a California court tossed CliniComp’s case against Cerner, Texas Judge Lee Yeakel ruled that “Athenahealth has failed to show by clear-and-convincing evidence that the '647 patent addresses only an abstract idea and presents no inventive concept.” (Court ruling—PDF)

A look at a former Uber executive’s new mental health startup

Former Uber executive Andrew Chapin said the company’s turmoil caused him severe anxiety which prompted him to form his new startup: The mental health app Basis.

The company just came out of stealth with a $3.75 million investment. The app is designed to help people cope with anxiety and depression using chat and video conversations. Chapin told TechCrunch that he often avoided therapy during stressful times at Uber and Goldman Sachs, which led him to his newest venture.

“There were days when I was walking through lower Manhattan and thinking if I got hit by a car and was in the hospital for a week, it’d be better than going to work,” he told the news outlet. (TechCrunch)