Health IT

Blockchain is no longer just a buzz word. The technology, which rose to fame by the decentralized digital currency Bitcoin, is entering the healthcare world. One study suggests one in five organizations will use it by 2020.

CVS Health is rolling out MinuteClinic Video Visits, a new telehealth service that provides patients with minor illnesses and injuries access to healthcare services at any time from their mobile device.

Care mistakes in the hospital often happen due to communication breakdowns between nurses and doctors, according to a recent study from University of Michigan researchers.

Jeff Immelt, former CEO of General Electric, announced on LinkedIn that he will be advising Collective Health, a start-up that offers software-driven workforce health management systems. The move comes less than a year since he announced his retirement as president and director of GE’s board and less than six months after becoming chairman of Athenahealth.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced a four-year, $300 million deal with 23andMe, a personal genomics and biotechnology company based in Mountain View, California. The British pharmaceutical company will have access to genetic information of 23andMe’s five million customers.

Considering the growing threat of ransomware in healthcare, organizations need to plan for the day their data become hostages, according to new research from Marshall University. Training and maintaining “digital hygiene” can not only reduce the likelihood of an attack, it also may reduce the financial and operational impacts of an incident.

Anthem announced a partnership with Samsung and American Well to offer a mobile app that will connect patients with U.S.-based healthcare providers for non-emergency medical information. The “Experts” service will be available the Anthem-covered individuals with Samsung mobile devices.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is planning to launch a new $100 million telehealth initiative called the Connected Care Pilot Program.

Data breaches are major operational disruptors that cost companies millions of dollars—and healthcare ends up getting hit the hardest.

The University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine will begin a complete overhaul of its electronic health record (EHR) system—and it’s not going to be cheap. The school’s finance committee approved $180 million to replace existing Cerner and Epic systems with a single integrated platform.

Government regulation can’t keep up with innovation in healthcare technology, especially when dealing with mobile medical applications—and those in charge of developing regulatory framework know it, according to top officials at the FDA in a July 2 viewpoint in JAMA.

WeDoctor, a startup worth $5.5 billion, has some saying it will become China's “Amazon of healthcare." The company’s main focus is removing unnecessary red tape and wait times at government clinics.