BioCurious isn't unique (a similar space has been set up in New York City, and some movements such as synthetic biology promote open information), but it's got a rare knack for making people comfortable with processes and ideas that normally put them off. Read More »

The migration to electronic medical records offers patients, providers and the overall healthcare system a variety of compelling benefits and cost reductions — but we shouldn’t underestimate the challenges that stand between the idea of an e-health ecosystem and it becoming a reality. Read More »

As Occupy Wall Street has gone from an obscure protest covered only on blogs and social media to a national phenomenon, the apparent parallels between the issues it is raising and the issues we have been raising in health care grows. Read More »

Have you ever heard of the RUC? If not, you are not part of the small circle of cognoscenti who know what makes the world go ’round – at least in Medicare. To enter the circle, read on. Read More »

Three times a year, 29 doctors gather around a table in a hotel meeting room. Their job is an unusual one: divvying up billions of Medicare dollars.

The group, convened by the American Medical Association, has no official government standing. Members are mostly selected by medical-specialty trade groups. Anyone who attends its meetings must sign a confidentiality agreement. Read More »

Three times a year, 29 doctors gather around a table in a hotel meeting room. Their job is an unusual one: divvying up billions of Medicare dollars.

The group, convened by the American Medical Association, has no official government standing. Members are mostly selected by medical-specialty trade groups. Anyone who attends its meetings must sign a confidentiality agreement. Read More »

The recent KLAS report on how providers are grappling with accountable care organizations shows that no single IT vendor can provide a complete ACO solution. Read More »

The massive undertaking to create a dual-agency EHR that serves both DoD and VA patients with a system woven from existing proprietary and open source components might demand something to which the federal government is largely unaccustomed. Read More »

Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business professor and author of the books Disrupting Class and The Innovator's Prescription, described disruptive technologies as "cheaper, simpler, smaller, and, frequently, more convenient to use." And when it comes to health IT, disruptive technologies are springing up left and right, allowing for less costly care and better communication. Read More »