Federal News
Physicians: iPad Not Ready For Clinical Use
Eighty percent of physicians in a recent survey said they believe that the Apple iPad has an "exciting future in healthcare"--but they doubt it is ready for clinical use. One barrier to clinical use of iPads today is the attitude of hospitals. "Seventy-five percent of physicians interviewed reported that hospital IT [staff] was resistant to supporting personal mobile devices on the corporate network," the Spyglass Consulting Group release said. "Hospital IT believes personal devices are insecure, less reliable, and more expensive to deploy, support and maintain than desktop computers." (Source: InformationWeek Healthcare) [Read article]
House Bill Would Gouge Rural Transit
Rural transportation leaders are speaking out against a proposal before Congress that would cut funding for needed public transit programs. (Source: Daily Yonder) [Read article]
Next Steps for ACOs
The brief provides an overview of ACOs, their origins, and the current status of adoption by Medicare and private health insurance plans. The authors say the ACO approach may appeal to many more health plans because it provides a model for an intermediate form of delivery. The brief also examines the five-year Medicare Physician Group Practice Demonstration’s results suggesting that ACOs will be able to improve the quality of care they deliver, but could have a hard time generating savings. (Source: RWJF) [Read article]
Obama Administration Announces Pilot Program to Help Rural Borrowers Refinance Mortgages, Get Lower Interest Rates
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a pilot program to help rural borrowers refinance their mortgages to reduce their monthly payments. This initiative is part of the Administration's ongoing efforts to help middle class families, create jobs, and strengthen the economy. The Single Family Housing Guaranteed Rural Refinance Pilot Program will operate in 19 states for homeowners who have loans that were made or guaranteed by USDA Rural Development. These states are among those hardest hit by the downturn in the housing market. (Source: USDA) [Read article]
Say Cheese, Carrots! Veggie Photos in Lunch Trays Boost Consumption
The simple act of putting photos of green beans and carrots in cafeteria-tray compartments sparked increased consumption among elementary-school students, according to a small study that suggests one more potential avenue for getting kids to eat their veggies. Researchers from the University of Minnesota compared carrot and green-bean consumption on a control day — with the usual cafeteria trays — to consumption on a day in which photographs of the two veggies were placed in tray compartments. (Source: Wall Street Journal) [Read article]
Obama Says Seniors Have Saved on Medicare ‘Doughnut Hole’
The Obama administration is touting good news for seniors from the health-care overhaul law, pointing to $2.1 billion in discounts on prescription drugs for 3.6 million older consumers in 2011. Part of the law was intended to fill the gap in prescription-drug coverage, the so-called doughnut hole, when Medicare beneficiaries have to to pay up to $4,550 out of pocket for drugs after their costs pass $2,840 for the year. (Source: Wall Street Journal Blog) [Read article]
Digital Doctoring
In the book "The Creative Destruction of Medicine," author Dr. Topol, a prominent cardiologist and geneticist, envisions a technology-enhanced future where new tools are integrated into diagnosing and treating patients, transforming the handling of common medical problems. The digital revolution can spur unprecedented advances in the medical sciences. (Source: Wall Street Journal) [Read article]
American Board of Physician Specialties Renews Partnership with the National Rural Health Association to Promote Rural Health
In addition to its focus on providing leadership on rural physician workforce issues, ABPS invites all NRHA partners to join in promoting public awareness for disaster medicine preparedness and response planning in rural America. (Source: PRWeb) [Read article]
